Mass Effect: Prometheus
by NeonZangetsu
Summary: Subject Zero wasn't the only criminal caged in Purgatory. Hundreds of thousands once called that cold abyss home. But there are some things that should never be unleashed, forces best left untapped. Now, a new terror has been released into the galaxy. But is he a friend or foe? Either way, it'll be one hell of a ride on the way down. Narutoxharem. Mass Effect 2.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Alright ladies and gentlmen, I'm alive! I've been better given all the problems I've been going through, but I'm still breathing. Still kicking. I've been on a Mass Effect craze as of late as I'm sure you all noticed; its just my way of coping with life atm. Not only has my stupid heart failed on me again, but I've been suffering through the loss of several family members. Add to that the state of my joblessness and the school bills that keep racking up, and I'm in a bit of a tight spot at the moment. Yet here I am, fighting this damned depression, not giving into despair. To all my readers/reviewers who have encourage me in this time, I say this:**

**Thank you all for you support, and here's hoping I make it through the rough road ahead of me! *Raises glass in a toast* Long live Fanfiction! And in case my health goes south...Love ya'll! Expect an update for Bring Down the Sky to be coming soon!**

**Well...here ya go! =D **

_"Jackie, I've done things that would make even you sick..._

_~?_

**Invictus**

At first all he knew was cold metal on his back and muffled voices. Then he became aware of shuffling footsteps, his shallow breathing, blood rushing in his ears, sweat beading upon his brow. Gradually, this eerie world of sound expanded to blurry figures, pins and needles in his limbs and louder words, though by no means less garbled. It felt like he was coming off of a heavy anesthetic. That or one _hell _of a genjutsu. As each of those voices grew more distinct, he could hear a man say, "Looks like he's waking up, Warden."

_Waking up from what,_ was his first thought, his mind finally restarting amidst the haze. The last thing he remembered was...

Peace.

Memories came rushing back in a monumental wave, momentarily subsuming him in images of the past.

Redeeming Obito. Crushing Kabuto. Obliterating Madara. Sealing away Kaguya withinhimself. Separating the Juubi back into its nine halves for a second time after the arrogant Uchiha's inteirference, recreating the nine Biju once more. Reviving their respective Jinchuuriki through use of the Rinnegan. Permitting them the impossible choice of reuniting with their partners or living their lives as normal human beings. Resigning himself to a life with her voice constantly in his head; her power constantly trying to take over his body, claim it as her own.

a life devoid of the voice the incessant whispers of Kurama. Peace. Yes, that was what it was called. What he had achieved. Hadn't he?

Taking a society once feared around the world and repurposing it; new faces, new ideals, new everything. Breathing fresh life into the desicated husk it had once been, ressurecting it, for the sole purpose of preserving that peace. What was the name of it again? He probed the darkest depths of his mind, seeking, searching, trying to remember it...

_Akatsuki._

Ten years later, his people had happened upon a treasure trove of technology-Prothean, as he would soon learn-and not five years later, they stumbled their way into the stars. He had been upon one of those very first vessels, and together with his crew, had reached what would later be known as as Mass Relay. But something had gone wrong. Those things arrived. Terrible, horrible creatures, pouring out of them. He remembered in bits and pieces, sporadic events threatening to scar him once more. Jumping through the relay. Crashing. And that voice...that damned voice...

_**We are your salvation through destruction.**_

That was where memory ended. Anger filled in the blanks. Clearly he'd landed somewhere. But where-or even when-was here?

Satisfied that he at least wasn't an amnesiac, the man looked down...and what he saw there all but turned his spine to ice. What...in the nine circles of hell? Why was he covered in shackles? Why...couldn't he move his body? Why were his hands so charred? What the hell was he wearing? More importantly, why did his chest feel as though an elephant were sitting on it? He took a a deep breath and felt the pressure alleviate somewhat and his chakra flaring subtly beneath his restraints. The world came into its own then, suddenly aware of hair before his visage, those matted blond tresses blotting out his vision for the smallest of seconds as he began to summon forth his power-

That was when he saw the creature. He almost burst out laughing right then and there. It looked some sort of scaly, bipedal chicken! Little did he know that this was a Turian, and the situation in which he found himself was by no means a laughing matter.

A voice, warbling deeply in the way all turian's did, spoke to him, mockingly. "And how are we feeling today?"

Well. This creature seemed to know him somehow. How odd.

"...fuck off."

"Good. It seems you can understand me. I'll have to thank our techs for implanting that translator in your spine." His mouth plates twitched in the parodyxm of a human smile. "Now that we can finally converse I think you'll be happy to know, boy," At this point a soil-brown turian with gold eyes in Blue Suns armor stepped into focus, speaking to him, "that you are the _second_ prisoner aboard the Purgatory deemed _dangerous_ enough for the cryogenic unit. I'm sure the Collectors will pay a handsome sum for you."

_'Cryo-what? Collector who?'_

He froze in his groggy stirrings as the finals words left the Warden's beak, why the hell was he aboard a prison ship? Was this creature an alien, or something? Had to be. No one in their right minds would create a jutsu like this. Mistaking this silience for fear the turian in front of him chuckled and foolishly continued his little tirade, "Don't worry too much, you're only on board until a proper buyer can be found. Oh, and you'll even have a cell mate, too! Won't that be _wonderful?_"

The man blinked once in acknowledgement. Trapped he might be, but he wouldn't be a prisoner for long.

**"I certainly hope so." **A silken voice sulked in the back of his brain.** "You forget; so long as you remain trapped, then so do I. This is unacceptable. Escape at once!"**

_'Oh, good.'_ the blond groaned as Kaguya made herself known for the first time in what felt like an eon. _'You're still here. How I've missed you.'.._

**"Sarcasm does not become you."** he could just picture her pretty little scowl.

_'Neither does your lack of wit!'_

Behind the turian who loved to hear himself talk, he could see a large mechanical arm slowly pulling a tube of frosted metal out of the cryo-unit.

Imagining the type of horrible criminal he would no doubt be sharing a cell with, he was vaguely surprised as the mist cleared to reveal a woman a head shorter than him and covered in tattoos. She looked a handful of years younger than himself and her head was shaved. She started to stir just as he had, but before she became aware of the change in her imprisonment a collar similar to his own was clamped over her neck. Her eyes shot open as she came to the realization he did when his own collar was applied and a hoarse voice let out a loud stream of vulgar curses. Had he been a green genin still, the man might have blushed at some of them.

As it were, he merely arched an eyebrow.

The Warden snorted next to him and said, "Beautiful, isn't she?"

"Fuck you!" she shrieked!

"Can you believe," the Warden continued merrily, "That she's been like this sinced ay one? Completely unbreakable. Marvelous, Subject Zero. Absolutley marvelous." When he moved to stroke her face, she tried to bite him.

"My name," the woman hissed, "Is Jack!"

"I don't care what your name is." the turian remarked dismissively, dead eyes swiveling towards Naruto. "Bind him."

With a wave of the turian's talons the rack he was strapped to was lifted by the large arm and shortly brought to the tube. A second's pause passed before the rack was slotted into the tube, mechanical clamps locking it into place. The woman snapped out of her tirade as she realized that he was detained facing her. Full lips quirked down into a scowl. "Don't get any funny ideas, fucker."

The man raised his eyebrows at her and asked the cliched question, "What are you in for?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, hazel orbs angry and intense. "All kinds of shit. You?"

He shrugged as best he could in the restraints and said, "I honestly don't know, I feel like half my mind is missing." A hoarse laugh leapt from his lips. There it was. He could feel his old strength returning. "Could have something to do with all these voices in my head. That ,or the fact that I've killed an entire godamn planet." By action, or inaction, he had doomed his people. But none of that mattered now. He could feel a hot, heady warmth blooming in his limbs as his chakra began to move within him and a pleasant, almost euphoric feeling flow down his spine as his coils were stressed. Just a little longer...

"Bullshit."

"I don't see anyone of the bovine persuasion around _**here..."**_

She snorted at his poor joke and frowned at the sudden drop in baritone but said nothing as the Warden walked up to the two of them, sneering in his mirth, "I'm _sooooo _glad to see the two of getting along." A clawed hand reached down to carress her cheek. "It wouldn't do to have your bunk mate try to murder you in your sleep, and I do hope you _sleep well_." As the tube settled into the cryo-unit all vestiges of light vanished and a brief, sharp pain bloomed from the spur on the back of his neck before the odd hum of his cell began to fade away. But it did not die. His eyes remained open, his senses alert, if slightly muddled.

Deep in the darkness, Naruto smiled.

"Only one sleeping here will be you, warden." Grimly, he released the hold of his body, no longer containing the entity he'd worked so hard to restrain. The effect was as immediate as it was terrible. Kaguya's shouts of joy were possibly the most terrifying thing he'd ever heard in all his life. He suppressed a shiver at the cold creeping up on him-the numbing sensation as she took almost complete control of his form. It wasn't his body anymore. Suddenly, it was hers. And the Rabbit Goddess rejoiced.

**"FINALLY!"**

Sapphire eyes snapped into a rimmed, violent violet. Veins bulged on either side of those orbs, the once purple rinnegan staining within just a touch of white. Horns sprouted from his head, his blond hair bleaching itself white as he gave himself to the entity sealed inside of his very soul. Power coursed through him. Changed him. Empowered him. Flooded his deadened limbs. Shredded the shackles, that bound him. One arm came free in a flurry of fling steel. That was all it took. A single arm-then a leg-then _another_ arm and then he was loose, standing in the black. She smiled up at the hatch that still barred her passage.

A slim, manicured hand cannoned upward with all the force of a typhoon.

Warden Kurill, still standing on the tube, never saw the blow that killed him. One moment he'd been crowing proudly over his sealed prisoners. The next, he was looking up at his legs, the severed half of his torso flying away in a spurt of blood and bone. Bifurcated, dead before he hit the ground, his upper and lower torso flopped lifelessly on the deck. Kaguya emerged from the hole, white eyes glancing piteously down at the still form off the turian she'd killed. A cruel smile quirked her face as she beheld the dumbstruck guards, gawping at the demise of their leader, at this woman in rags who stood before them.

"Hello, corpses." she smiled benovelently. They raised their weapons to fire-

She moved and they died. There could be no other explanation for it. Once they were men-and in the next instant they were smears on the wall, armor and all. Kaguya felt nothing for their demise. They were inferior to her. Base creatures unworthy of even the most passing glances. Worms. On a whim she reached down and opened the woman's cage, watching as it began its slow ascent up from the depths. That one had a spark, one she would've enjoyed draining her of if she had the chance. Ah but her time was fleeting. Even now she could feel herself slipping, returning back to the seal.

_"Ahh,"_ she sighed, gazing upon her blood-soaked hands. Her hands, not the rough calloused palms of the one who had bound her, trapped her to his very being. She would relish these rare moments of freedom as long as possible. "If only this were permanent." Kaguya used his mouth to smile, her silken voice emerging from his lips. Her lips. "If you'd just create a body for me, we wouldn't have to suffer like this...

_'Yeah, well it isn't!'_ His voice stabbed at her mind, once more reminding her who held the whip. _'And I won't. Assuming control! NOW!'_

Kaguya bent double, gasping as the change reversed itself. Male asserting itself over female once more. Bones restructured themselves, snapping and cracking. Horns shrank back into his scalp. Molten gold asserted its dominance over white, the long pale tresses shrinking until they were little more than bangs. By the time the fog had cleared and all six senses were her own, Jack found herself face to face with her cell mate. Her eyes instinctually narrowed in anger, only to widen when she saw his blood-spattered form standing tall and unbound. A low whistle carried past her lips, barely heard over his own hammering heart.

"Holy shit...you really fucked them up."

"You noticed that, too? I thought it was just me. You said you're Jack, right? Name's Naruto, by the way." he introduced, offering his hand.

She stared at him in disbelief.

"I can't shake your hand if I'm tied up, fucker."

"Right."

Naruto laughed and moved to unbind her. But before he could unlock anything more than the collar, she slapped his hands away. "I can do the rest myself." she grumbled. Impatiently he waited as she unbound herself, her small hands wresting themselves free from each shackle one by one. Unsurprisingly, she didn't thank him. Instead she stalked away, hurriedly rummaging amonst the corpses. When she came up with a shotgun, he finally grew weary of her silence.

"Hey!" he shouted, grabbing hold of her shoulder.

"What?" she growled, rounding on him. The shinobi was somehow reminded of a viper hissing defiance at some larger predator.

"I just saved your ass! A thank you would be appreciated."

Jack glowered at him for a long moment. A muscle jumped in her jaw. Then she flung Kurin's assault rifle at him. With fumbling fingers , he caught the large weapon. The red and black stock felt strange and alien in his grasp. Even as he looked down at it, he felt the first explosion. Jack had blown a hole in the nearby wall, thereby securing an escape. Almost immediately, dozens of alarms began blaring, deafeningly. Perhaps that was why she chose to grant his request.

"Thanks." she muttered.

An uneasy silence passed between the two of them. Finally, the tattooed convict gestured toward the hole

"So...you ready to fuck some shit up?"

Naruto felt an old smile tear across his face at the idea of some much-needed payback.

"I was born ready!"

That was when it finally occurred to him:

_He had no idea how to fire a gun!_

"Erm...

"Now, what?"

He held up the rifle.

"How the hell do you use this thing?"

Jack facepalmed.

"Are you fucking kidding me?!"

**A/N: Aaand there you have it! My work continues!**

**Anywho, I**** worked extremely hard on this one, so I hope to hear what you think! Will Naruto join up with Shepard? Or will he forge his own path? Pairing is uuup in the air! YOU DECIDE! And on a final note, thank you to everyone offering emotional support in regard to my health woes. Its greatly appreciated! An awful lot is going to change in this story soon! Look forward to an epic prank next chapter...provided my health holds out. So I'll say for all of you...HAPPY SUMMER!**

**So...in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview!**

**(Preview)**

_Illium was not what Naruto had expected it to be. Then again, he wasn't entirely sure what he'd been expecting in the first place. He was still adapting to the alien idea of finding himself flung into a different universe by that relay, a new realm bordering on the strange and the obscure. It helped a little that he had Jack at his side, but beyond that he was almost hopelessly lost in the cultural marvel of the asari-dominated planet. There were so many different species to see, technology to observe, and everywhere he went, he'd found these strange, gorgeous creatures staring at him. At Jack's behest he'd procurred a pair of pants and a shirt to satisfy his own modesy, but even so he felt horribly underdressed as he gazed upon some of the denizens of the spaceport._

_No, this definitley wasn't what he'd expected of the asari when he'd first heard of them._

_Neither was a Justicar._

_Samara had lived for countless years, taken inumerable lives and yet something about her struck him as off. Power radiated off her in waves, something that could best be described as...an aura. There was a prescence to her that could only be defined as a subtle sense of regality, as though she were a queen walking among common peasants. Naruto tried not to stare, but some part of him was instinctually stricken by the sight of this warrior standing before him._

_"I sense a great evil within you." she murmurred. "Are you friend or foe?"_

_Inwardly, Kaguya scoffed._

_The shinobi grimaced._

_"That depends."_

**Hope you enjoyed! R&R! =D**


	2. Titan

**A/N: Alright ladies and gentlmen, I'm alive! I've been better given all the problems I've been going through, but I'm still breathing. Still kicking. I've been on a Mass Effect craze as of late as I'm sure you all noticed; its just my way of coping with life atm. Not only has my stupid heart failed on me again, but I've been suffering through the loss of several family members. Add to that the state of my joblessness and the school bills that keep racking up, and I'm in a bit of a tight spot at the moment. Yet here I am, fighting this damned depression, not giving into despair. To all my readers/reviewers who have encourage me in this time, I say this:**

**Thank you all for you support, and here's hoping I make it through the rough road ahead of me! *Raises glass in a toast* Long live Fanfiction! And in case my health goes south...Love ya'll! Expect an update for Bring Down the Sky to be coming soon! And I've gotten a lovely idea for someone in this story from someone. Remember, I own nothing! And prepare for a shocker! And of course, a fair bit of humor!**

**Well...here ya go! =D **

_"I've watch my world burn. You think I'm afraid of a little murder?"_

_~?_

**Titan**

Illium was not what Naruto had expected it to be. Then again, he wasn't entirely sure _what_ he'd been expecting in the first place. He was still adapting to the alien idea of finding himself flung into a different universe by that relay, a new realm bordering on the strange and the obscure. And guns! Did he mention the guns? The assault rifle he'd liberated from the Warden proved itself to be a might powerhouse in every sense, capable of mowing down entire squads with just a twitch of the trigger. Then there was the concept of ammunition. Shields. Tech attacks. Biotics. And pain. Lots of pain.

Getting shot hurt like a _bitch. _If not for his regeneration, he'd have a few dozen holes in him by now.

Purgatory was little more than smoldering ruin at their backs now, a derelict hulk venting air and prisoners into the cold, un. To add insult to injury, they'd made off with Kurin's personal cruiser. The Vendetta. It was a turian make and model, all angles and harsh edges, clearly made to tailor to the man's...needs. They couldn't eat a damned thing onboard but within their appropriated ride, they'd discovered a safe. When all was said and done, Naruto and Jack were each ten million credits richer. Not a bad start for their grand getaway into the universe.

He'd thought he'd seen another ship approach the wreckage just before their little vessel hit the relay, but he had no way of knowing whether or not his eyes were playing trickers on him. Regardless, he was a foreigner in a _very _foreign place.

Granted, it helped a little that he'd had Jack at his side throughout so he didn't have to deal with the pangs of loneliness, but beyond that, he was almost hopelessly lost in this cultural marvel of the asari-dominated planet. There were so many different species to see, technology to observe, and everywhere he went, he'd found these strange, gorgeous creatures staring at him. At Jack's behest he'd procurred a pair of pants and a shirt to satisfy his somewhat limited sense of modesy without his new armor, but even so he felt horribly _overdressed _as he gazed upon some of the scanty attire of the denizens of the spaceport.

"Heh."

Her sudden laugh caught him unawares, in the last thre days that he'd known Subject Zero, he didn't think her the sort to laugh. It was an odd sound, surprisingly pleasant coming from her lips. Unbidden, his eyes fell a bit, ghosting over the tattoos covering her skin. Her art really was beautiful, the ink itself seemed to shimmer in the fading light of the planet. What kind of scars did all thos markings cover? If one looked closely, the faintest outlines of scars could just be seen...

"Eyes up here, dumbass."

"What?" he blinked, frowning at her in the crowd. She was smirking.

"Looks like you've got a bounty on your head."

She pointed, a finger direction his attention to a flickering image of himself on a nearby building, his features set in a stern scowl. Apparently someone had managed to get a picture of him back in Purgatory before they torched the place. Beneath this name and picture was a...rather hefty sum. Naruto immediately pressed a button on the seal of his suit at the neck. Almost immediately the seals of his hardsuit adjusted, folding upward to provide the sudden prescence of the helm and hiding his face from the world. Handy little ugrade. Then, almost out of he noticed the abbreviations between his name.

"Titan, huh?" his voice was harsh and filtered through the mask. "I like the sound of that. Fifty thousand credits though...is that a lot?"

"A lot less than mine." Jack replied smugly.

"Guess that means they'll grab you first." he joked. He considered elbowing her but decided against it; Jack wasn't big on physical contact. Unless it involved violence. She didn't hesitate to give him a shove.

"Fucker."

"You like it." he countered.

A roll of the eyes.

"You like a lot of things." she snorted, changing the subject. "Doesn't anything make you angry?"

Naruto considered it for a moment. He felt anger of course, but he didn't let it move him. The closest thing he'd felt to it had been when those monstrous synthetics came pouring through the relay. Watching his vessels fall, seeing his planet burn as they bombarded it from orbit. Damnit, they didn't even try to land-

"Hey, you there?" Jack's hand, waving before his face, pulled him back to reality.

"Muwah?

"I was _asking_ if anything pissed you off before."

"Not really, no."

"What about our little friend back there?" she jerked a thumb over her shoulder to the third member of their party, a slender redhead clad in threadbare armor, her face hidden by a dark helme. "She's been following us like a little lost puppy since you busted her out." Naruto shifted and she was quick to catch it. "C'mon, you _gotta_ be pissed after what that bastard did to her." Naruto let his eyes linger on the woman for a moment, as if to remind himself why he'd let her tag along in the first place.

"She's...an exception.

_"Riiiiiiight."_

In the hours they'd spent fighting through the prison to freedom, he'd gotten a crash course on life. But even the shock of waking up to a new and alien world couldn't have prepared him for what he and Jack had found deep in the bowels of the ship. In the Warden's personal quarters. The guards had lots of credit. Lots of armor, too. He'd even stolen a set for himsellf and painted it orange and black, just for kicks. Yet, what the grizzly old bird had been hiding, secreted behind a false wall in his own dwelling...that blew the man's mind right back to the stone age. They'd looted it for supplies...

...and found something else altogether.

Just thinking about it was enough to send a shiver shooting up his spine...

* * *

_(Flashback)_

_Heart pounding nearly out of his chest, he keyed open the door. Jack stood guard outsid, shotgun at the ready. Who knew what manner of traps lay within? He knew she could've rushed off and ditched him, but for an odd reason he still didn't quite understand, she stuck around. He was glad for her company, crazed though it might be, but even that couldn't have prepared him for this._

_"What in the blue hell...?"_

_Naruto opened the door and stepped into a refrigerated blast of air. He holstered his weapon, suddenly aware of the chill in the air. He can see his breath. Feel it on his skin. A solitary desk and chair sit in the middle of the room. Located only a few feet behind, adjacent to the door itself, is a single, coffin-like pod with a translucent covers, stretching to the back of the room. There are tanks pumping gases and fluids into the pod. The cylinder sits on a vertical beds, tilted forward at about a 20-degree angle. _

_His mind proccesses this quietly._

_A datapad sits on the desk in the middle of the room. Naruto walks to it and sets his newly proccurred helmet down. He picks the datapad up with a trembling hand. He skims through the text. What he finds there sets his had spinning. Its a diary of sorts. And a grisly one at that:_

_(Entry One)_

_"I've done it. Cerberus thought they were so smart, finding the Commander's body. But they weren't. I found her first. I'd no need of a corpse so I left her there, on that blighted wasteland of Alchera. By the time I had realized the Collectors were willing to pay for her shriveled body, the Illusive Man had already staked his claim. But it doesn't matter. Alll I needed was a single DNA sample from that manged corpse. And I have it. She will be perfect for what I have in mind._

_(Entry Two)_

_Nineteen failures. NINETEEN! I never thought it would be this difficult to clone one damn human! __The real Shepard was a biotic. devastatingly effective. The eezo infusions will make this one twice the one she was, but perhaps they are the reasons the last batch turned out so deformed and insane. But not this one. She's coming along smoothly. No signs of deformity or psychosis. Biotics are off the charts. She'd put even the best of our cabals to shame. The techies have taken to calling her X20. I admit, the name sticks and with all the tech we're grafting to her, she'll be virtually indestrucible..._

_(Entry Three)_

_X20 is __improving smoothly. Thanks to a vat-grown program she'll _knows how to fight, run, breathe, talk, and kill all from the moment she leaves the tank. Nothing else. Her obedience will be unquestioning. I'll keep her as my own personal bodyguard maybe a pet. Someone to do my dirty work once I've finally woken her up. But I've just had a thought. They say that the Commander is back now. From the dead. Running with Cerberus no less. Now she's coming here for Jack. Maybe, if were to sell the real Shepard, I could live like a king! Then there's our more recent guest. He could be worth something to, if I gave him to the Collectors. Well, its food for thought I suppose...

_~Kurin._

_**"Hmm."** Kaguya mused, contemplative within his skull. **"Seems like someone was experimenting."**_

_"Yeah, no kidding."_

**_"So what are you going to do?"_**

_"About what?" he frowned._

**_"About that."_**

_Naruto turned his gaze back to the pod. With mounting dread, he realizes that the pod contained a shape._

_ A human shape. _

_"Oh, dear sweet kami."_

_Numbly, his fingers find the release catch. It whisks open with a soft hiss, fog steaming forth to blind him. He draws the rifle, trains it on her, expecting an attack. What he finds there causes him to lower it. There is a human contained within-a female. Naked as the day she was born._

_She's beautiful._

_ Perfectly formed, she looks at him with intelligence. She is aware. Marvelously so. Dark auburn red hair frames a heart-shaped face from which bright green eyes turn to regard him, widening as he points his gun at it in disbelief. It stretches out an arm and utters a raspy mewling sound, pleading with him. "No," it speaks to him in a soft voice. It tries to crawl out of the pod-tugging at the tubes holding it down. Naruto feels himself sway on his feet. He barely remembers where he is, aware only of the weakness in his legs. This thing is human. Its alive. It _begs.

_"Please..."_

_Naruto deliberates. This is a clone. Not like his. A living breathing, being of flesh. It lives. Killing it might be a mercy. Or it might not. Does this woman-X20-even deserve to live? He considers if a moment, remembering all he said and did as the leader of his people, his planet. Never leaving a man behind, until those things came. Had he changed? No. I won't kill her. __He holsters his weapon, and instead reached down for the tubes tied into her arms and legs. His hands fumble at the restraints, hoping that they won't do any permanent damage._

_"I'm going to get you out of here." he says at last._

_Her eyes glisten with tears. When she speaks again her voice is stronger, if only slightly._

_"Thank you..."_

_"You can thank me later." A few tugs and the tubes come free with a wet pop, leaving large, gaping holes in her flesh. The woman cries out. He cringes. Then to his amazement-those holes begin to close. This woman-this clone of Shepard, whoever that is-possesses a regeneration factor that rivals his own. She blinks slowly, amazement flickering across her visage. Slowly, carefully, she steps out of the pod, her bare feet stumbling on the cold metal floor. She stumbled and fell; his arms there to steady there._

_"Hey, easy there."_

_Then the door opened._

_"Hey, you find any-WHAT THE FUCK?!"_

_Naruto started slightly at Jack's shout. X20 jumped. But not so much as what came next._

_"Who the hell are you?" the convict demanded._

_She looked at them with those big, green eyes. Filled with so much confusion._

_"...I don't know."_

_(End Flashback)_

* * *

In the end, they called her Jodie. Jodie Shepard.

The clone seemed to like that. Having a name meant, she had an idenity. She wasn't just some testube clone. Not X20. She didn't need to know she was a clone of perhaps one of the most badass humans to ever have lived, and died if the rumors were to be believed, that her face was known halfway across the extranet. And that was just according to Jack. Naruto didn't know a damned thing about this Commander Shepard-only that he felt immensely sorry for the young woman who'd fallen under their-his-care to look after.

"Where are we going?"

Naruto started slightly. Jodie. He'd nearly forgotten she was there. Bright green eyes met his blue, her head cocked aside quizically; she'd removed the helmet when he wasn't looking. Willfull, this one. So much for the vaunted obedience as espoused by Kurin's datapad. It was like having a sibling-one who could rip your head off with a blink.

**"Please."** Kaguya scoffed. **"You've regenerated from worse."**

_'Yeah, and its not something I'm keen on doing again.'_

"Naruto?"

"Well, ah," he folded under her inquisitive stare. "We're still buying up supplies. After that, who knows?"

"Why the Citadel?"

Her expresssion turned stormy and tense. "I don't know...it just feels like I should go there. Report to someone...or _something."_ She pushed a hand against her head as though fighting off a migraine. "Everything's just-jumbled up. I can't think straight." Naruto mentally raised an eyebrow. Did she have the memories of the original? Was that even possible? Not in his day and age. Even with the technological advancements his people had made, they hadn't been able to produce an exact duplicate of an individual-not down to the memories.

Jack rolled her eyes. "Pussy."

Jodie bristled. "Take that back."

"You gonna make me?"

"Yes."

The convict barked a laugh, her eyes shining at the promise of a fight. "Well, shit. Look who took their balls out of their purse!"

"Hey!" Naruto thrust himself between the two biotics with a growl. "That's enough. Both of you. We're in this together... _remember?_ We've helped each other get out of Purgatory. I'm not going to let an arguement tear us apart, not over something like this." Even with his helmet on, he was more than capable of persuading even the most stubborn of individuals. He didn't doubt that he'd be able to talk two angry women who could alll but manipulate dark matter down from their tempers.

And sure enough, they relented.

"Whatever you say, boss man." Jack raised her hands in defeat. "Just don't expect to bail this bitch out of a fight."

Jodie made a face. "Wouldn't want you to."

She was right though; she'd been clinging to him like a shadow ever since they'd gotten out of Purgatory. It was kinda, cute really.

They'd discovered she was an able shot with a pistol and her biotics, well...suffice it to say Jack wasn't going to tease her again after she'd turned that last guard inside out. For someone with so much power, such skill, the clone was very much like a human child. Always watching. Learning. Listening. Someone brimming with pent up energy, capable of doing so much good, yet also more than able to do catastrophic damage to every and anyone who dared to stand in their way.

"Alright then!" he clapped his hands, eager to dissolve the tension. "Lets get back to shopping!"

"Sure." Jodie chirruped happily.

Jack groaned. "Fine...but you're buying me that new shotgun!"

"Deadl!"

They ended up wandering the market for the next three hours, picking up arms, weapons, supplies, and all manner of others things. And food. Definitely food. But to Naruto's dismay, there was no ramen to be found. Not even a single noodle! Oh, they had all manner of exotic dishes he'd never tried before, but there was none of his favorite broth anywhere to be seen. Surely their worlds weren't that different?! Yet it seemed they just might be; for stop after his stop, none of his delightful food stuff was to be found.

"Oh c'mon," he muttered, helmet folding down into his suit to reveal the extent of his displeasure, blue eyes leering into the hologram as though he could somehow make it manifest. "Why is there no ramen?! This is the fifth one!" Whirling away without a word, he stormed off towards another kiosk-all too certain that he'd be denied yet again. Sure enough, he was. "Oh, fuck me! WHERE IS THE RAMEN?! I'm starving here! Its not funny, Jack!" Jerking back in the direction of her laughter, he spun-

-and he slammed headlong into someone.

"Sorry," he muttered, cheeks heating up as his hands ghosted somewhere where they shouldn't be. He caught sight of a deep red outfit and beautiful blue skin. "I didn't mean to_-shit."_ He hissed immediately as a pistol pressed against his stomach. "Hey, easy now, no need to shoot." he raised a hand, and then the other, silently channeling chakra into his palms in preparation as he raised his gaze. "I didn't mean to bump into you. Its my bad. Really-wow.

Blue eyes met blue.

"My name is Samara," the woman began slowly. "I am seeking a wanted fugitive. You are impeding my investigation and have laid hands upon me. Identify yousrelf." In his peripheals he could see the rest of the crowd all but scattering terrified at the sudden appearance of the armed asari. Where the hell were Jack and Jodie?

"Whoa now, the name's Naruto. I didn't mean to touch anything." Already he could feel the beginnings of a frown plucking at his visage. It would be child's play, to blast her away with a bit of wind chakra, but he chose the peaceful route instead. "C'mon now, we can work this out.

"Be that as it may, your hands _did_ wander."

"Fuck." somewhere out of sight, Jack hissed. Naruto swore. "Damnit, why'd you have to run into a Justicar...

No, this definitley wasn't what Naruto had expected of the asari when he'd first heard of them.

Neither was a Justicar.

"Yeah," he sighed. "I get that alot. Look, I'm not trying to pick a fight-

**"-I am!-" **

-so can we please put the gun away and discuss this like civilized beings? Pretty please? With ramen on top?"

There was a tense moment of silence between them. Finally, the asari nodded and holstered her pistol. "Very well."

"Thank you-

"But I would have you answer me a question, first."

"Eh, sure? Why not."

Samara had lived for countless years, taken inumerable lives and yet something about her struck him as off. Power radiated off her in waves, something that could best be described as...an aura. There was a prescence to her that could only be defined as a subtle sense of regality, as though she were a queen walking among common peasants. Naruto tried not to stare, but some part of him was instinctually stricken by the sight of this warrior standing before him. It was like staring at a goddess.

"I sense a great evil within you." she murmurred, her severe features creasing into a frown, eyes straying to Jack and Jodie. "And I see two well armed people before me in addition to yourself. Are we friend or foe?"

Inwardly, Kaguya grinned, tensing with the anticipation of combat. **"I'd say foe. Please say foe."**

The shinobi grimaced.

"That depends."

"On?"

"On whether or not you have any ramen."

There was a puzzled silence. Samara blinked. Finally she managed to find words again.

_...I beg your pardon?"_

**A/N: Aaand there you have it! My work continues! Couldn't resist that ending XD**

**Anywho, I**** worked extremely hard on this one, so I hope to hear what you think! Will Naruto join up with Shepard? Or will he forge his own path? Pairing is uuup in the air! YOU DECIDE! And on a final note, thank you to everyone offering emotional support in regard to my health woes. Its greatly appreciated! An awful lot is going to change in this story soon! Look forward to an epic prank next chapter...provided my health holds out. So I'll say for all of you...HAPPY SUMMER! I've worked my but off on this, and I sincerely hope that I haven't dissapointed ya'll! **

**So...in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview!**

**(Preview)**

_The harsh click of a loaded shotgun filled his ears._

_"Okay, hotshot. Any last words?"_

_"Just one." he sighed. "Why such a big shotgun? Trying to compensate for something? But wait, you're a woman, so-_

_Her only response was a furious shriek._

_Naruto twisted aside, his skin standing on end as a powerful biotic shockwave shot past him and carromed into a series of crates. Without thinking he instinctually thrust a fist forward, a column of air pistoning out from his outstretched hand. Unprepared for this unseen assault the human woman didn't have time to brace herself; she could only cry out as a wall of wind picked her up, and slammed her into the nearest wall. The impact knocked her helmet, free sending dark red hair glistening in the fading light of Horizon. She glared at him, her bright eyes shining brightly in the dark. Blue eyes bulged. Her face._

_It was Jodie's face._

_He was looking at Commander Jane Shepard, formerly of the Alliance Navy._

_"Ah, balls..._

_That was all he had time say before someone pistol-whipped him from behind; the stock of a hard muzzle meeting the back of his head. __He saw stars. Then..._

_...blackness._

**Hope you enjoyed! R&R! =D**


	3. Shock

**A/N: Alright ladies and gentlmen, I'm alive! I've been better given all the problems I've been going through, but I'm still breathing. Still kicking. I've been on a Mass Effect craze as of late as I'm sure you all noticed; its just my way of coping with life atm. Not only has my stupid heart failed on me again, but I've been suffering through the loss of several family members. Add to that the state of my joblessness and the school bills that keep racking up, and I'm in a bit of a tight spot at the moment. Yet here I am, fighting this damned depression, not giving into despair. To all my readers/reviewers who have encourage me in this time, I say this:**

**Thank you all for you support, and here's hoping I make it through the rough road ahead of me! *Raises glass in a toast* Long live Fanfiction! And in case my health goes south...Love ya'll! Expect an update for Bring Down the Sky to be coming soon! And I've gotten a lovely idea for someone in this story from someone. Remember, I own nothing! And prepare for a shocker! And of course, a fair bit of humor!**

**Well...here ya go! =D **

_"RAMEN!"_

_~?_

**Shock**

Illium.

You could find almost anyone here.

_Or anything,_ Naruto reflected quietly to himself as he laid into his ramen, the trio of cups position squarely across the table, between him and Samara. The justicar had taken his words a tad little too literallly; instead of shooting him, she'd brought him to the one place on Illium that did, in fact serve this delectable treat.

Ilium was every bit as beautiful and awe-inspiring as its reputation suggested. The capital Nos Astra was a vibrant megalopolis stretching out further than the eye could see and beyond what the imagination could visualise, possessing the spectacular look of the Citadel Wards, made warmer and more welcoming by its planetside setting. Even from orbit, he had seen that every inch of the planet's surface seemed covered by grandiose office buildings, apartments and markets in slender, towering form – dwarfing even the finest that his oeople had erected in their newest golden age. From every angle the traffic shot through the air like enormous fireflies, above and between a labyrinthine maze of skyscrapers. A thousand neon lights from a thousand billboards attempted to grab his attention all at once. Everything was for sale on Ilium and it was marketed to every species.

Ilium was a volus world as he soon learned, yet had been the main trade hub for asari-owned corporations for several hundred years. It was a celebration of wealth and achievement, of extravagance and privilege. It magnified and proudly displayed all the positive traits of asari and volus culture; making it a never ending flow of money contained within ageless and elegant architecture.

But the planet's beauty masked a sinister underbelly of crime. Ruthlessness was the single rule in many places on Ilium, and almost nothing but first degree murder was outlawed. Jack had spoken of the planet only once, calling parts of it 'Omega with better shoes.' To survive, to live long enough to enjoy the all the elicit perks of the trade capital of the Terminus Systems required mistrust of everyone and loyalty to only yourself. Mainstream society was safe and satisfying for many, but rising to the very top however; required a willingness to sacrifice anyone in the way of your success; friend, foe or loved one. Ilium was fit to burst with mobsters, assassins and Donovan Hock-type businessmen prospering under the not so watchful eyes of well-bribed law enforcement.

Still, they served his favorite food. Couldn't be that bad.

"Finally, a place that serves ramen!" he exulted as he slurped the noodles down. "Bless the log!"

Jack watched him with a bemused look as he dug into his food. "You really like that shit, dont'cha?" She herself favored a medium-rare steak, a surprisingly demure choice given her volatile temper.

"What's not to love! Its ramen!"

"You want some more, kid?" Aethyta asked, pausing as she polished a glass. Samara was an old friend; she was more surprised than anything else to see her fellow matriach in the company of humans. Or with anyone for that matter. It was rare to see her normally uptight sister-not by blood of course-relaxing, much less nursing a thessian temple in one hand. Good for her. The old girl deserved a chance to unwind for once-however brief that opportunity might be.

"Yes, please!" Naruto chorused, drawing her attention. "And I'm not a kid!" He was twenty-seven years old for crissakes!

The elder asari smirked.

"Most humans are to me."

"Bah!" Naruto stuck out his tongue in childish defiance; indirectly proving her point.

"What's ramen?" Jodie asked, her green eyes observing one of the cups with an almost childlike curiosity. She'd ordered some asari dish but had left it most untouched once Naruto had started espousing the valures of what was apparently his favorite food.

The blond turned a pale, ghostly shade of white at her inquiry. "What?! You mean to tell me you...you...haven't heard, haven't _tasted_ of the goodness that is ramen?!"

The soldier shook her head mutely, the motion sending her scarlet tresses swaying side to side. "No. Is it really that good?"

"Its the best! Here, try some." Without pausing to think of the rammifications, he plucked some of it up with his chopsticks and offered it to her. The clone blinked, momentarily baffled. Then, without further hesitation, she leaned forward and closed her mouth around the twin sticks, pulling away seconds later. There was a small slurping sound as she lapped up the noodley broth. From her own secluded spot Jack realised their hands were suddenly locked together in a tight grip. The blonde withdrew as if touching fire, Jodie slipped her guilty hand under the table and they both took a step apart. There was a brief moment of silence.

"Mmm!" the clone nodded once, swallowing quickly. "S'good!" Just like that, the mood was restored.

"Told ya."

Jack's eyebrows rose in scorn.

"Shit," she groused. "You don't have to spoon-feed her."

"Don't mind." Jodie replied tersely, her reply turning uncustomarily smug as ever when she addressed Jack.

"Yeah, I'm sure you don't." the convict spat back. "You're like a little lost puppy, lapping up whatever treats he gives you."

Jodie's face flushed in anger. "Am not."

"Are too, princess!"

"You-!"

This young woman, Samara thought to herself, bore a striking resemblance to Commander Shepard. There were a few flaws of course to be sure; mostly cosmetic. Her eyes were a stark, crystalline green instead of a blazing blue. That heartshaped face bore a smattering of freckles near the brow of her nose, whereas the first human spectre certainly had none, and her hair was a little longer than Alliance regulation would normally allow, spilling down just above her shoulders in a curtain of scarlet. Beyond that, one woul be hard-pressed to tell the difference. Even the voice was the same. Not a sister, then. No familiar relation, either. Unless...

_A clone._

The realization, shocking for some, merely puzzled the justicar. Clones weren't uncommon in this day and age, but neither were they widespread. One could not "copy" memories onto another template without massive implantation or somesuch, and, this young woman bore no such signs of scars. So what was a relatively unaltered clone of the Commander doing up and about? In the company of these two, no less. Most curious. She certainly didn't seem malicious enough to have orchestrated it herself...

She could've chosen to pursue the matter further had Naruto not chosen that moment to step in and break up their arguement.

"What, do you want me to feed you, too?" he offered to Jack.

The tattooed biotic sputtered indignantly as he held the chopsticks, now fresh with ramen, towards her. "Fuck, no! Get that shit away from me!"

He leaned closer, grinning. "Your mouth says no, but your eyes-

"Naruto, I swear to GOD!"

Jodie stifled a laugh; that was all it took to get him going for real.

"Yosh!" Naruto threw up his arms! "Now is the time for chaos!"

"I will _destroy_ you!"

"Haha! You can try!"

Back at the bar, Aethyta barked out a hoarse laugh. "Kids these days...

Samara was inclined to agree; and even permitted herself the slightest of smiles as she observed their little kerfuffle. It seemed these three were not the menace, she had first made them to be. They were more of a dysfunctional family than a gang of murderous theieves. And, this Naruto. He was much more than the fool she'd first taken him for-so much more indeed. She'd seen that discerning glint in his gaze before he started making a fool of himself in front Jack and Jodie. He'd stepped in at the precise moment when tensions had begun to boil and acted in a manner that focused their attention on him instead of one another.

But it was more than that. He was clearly the leader of this ragtag little band; and she could not help but wonder what would inspire such confidence in two women who couldn't be more different. He clearly wasn't any sort of biotic-or if he was, he didn't move like one. There was a levity to his words that sounded just a little forced; as if he were struggling to throw himself into what he did, and in doing so, forget or ignore the demon riding him. She could understand that much. But there was something her mind could not comprehend.

A man with no past, a wanted convict, and a clone walk into a bar on Illium? It sounded like a bad joke. Maybe it was.

Still, they hadn't killed each other. They were a...family, of a sort. Something about that word tore at the strings of her heart and plucked at emotions long buried, only just a little. What she wouldn't give, to have hers back. Watching these three reminded the matriarch of her maiden days, when she would dance or fight or party the nights away. A simpler time.

One long since past.

A frown drew down at the corners of her mouth as she thought of this. She shifted in her seat, suddenly restless. Why did she tarry here? Morinth was somewhere here-on this planet-and for every moment she spent sitting at this table, her eldest grew further and further away. She needed to find her eldest before she smuggled herself offworld or worse, found another victim. Knowing Morinth, it was only a matter of time. Steely resolve galvanized Samara. No. She would not allow her to slip away-not this time. Not when she was so close. Enough time had been wasted here already.

Stiffly, she rose from the table. Naruto paused in what he was doing, his eyes following her. She knew what he was going to ask almost before the question even left his lips.

"Leaving already?"

In that instant Samara ached to tell him a thousand different things, all of them lies. Instead, she told him the truth.

"I must continue my hunt."

She wasn't expecting him to rise after her. And she _certainly _wasn't prepared for his hand to clamp down onto her wrist like a varren's jaw. Incredulously, she glanced down at the offending appendage and was alarmed to find that she could not break free. Even with her biotics. Such strength! A small part of her marveled at it. The rest of her became distinctly uncomfortable. Out of the corner of her eye she was aware of the clone, all but watching her like a hawk, ready to move if she tried to hurt the blonde. Devoted, this one.

"Release me." she said.

"Hey now, wait just a second." his tone was placating soothing. "This fugitive of yours...just how do you plan to find her?"

Behind them, Jack groaned.

"Here we fuckin' go again...

"By whatever means neccessary." Samara answered, tacitly ignoring her fellow biotic. A thought occured to her, then. "I must stop her before she kills again." He ice blue eyes strayed down to the hand still locked onto her wrist." Will you attempt to stop me?"

Remarkably, he let go.

"You treated me to ramen." all she got was a shrug. "And you're hunting a murderer. Can't be all that bad."

"A simplistic view." the words escaped her mouth before she could think to take them back.

His lips curled in a roguish grin. "Its served me well enough in the past. Which brings me to the next thing." He bowed, deep and low at the waist, as his people did in respect to others. "We would be honored to assisst you in your search, Samara-san."

Jack scowled, a piece of steak still clenched in her teeth, one she now swallowed. "We would?"

"Yes, we would." Naruto snapped, earning a scowl from the convict. His eyes cut to the third member of their party. "Wouldn't we, Jodie?"

The clone inclined her head in a short nod and mirrored the motion. "Yes."

"Hello?! Don't I get a say in this?!"

"Nope." they chorused.

A rare emotion crossed Samara's visage. Surprise. Then humilty.

"I confess, it has been some time since I have traveled with a company of honourable heroes." she admitted. "I normally work alone." There was a peace that came with loneliness. A solitude that allowed her to remain focused; fixated on her target and nothing else. To work with others promised only distraction...yet surely they could help her in her task?

"Well, I can't vouch for Jack-

_"Hey!"_

-but Jodie and I are pretty honorable."

"Something an old friend told me," Naruto said. He stepped out into the downpour, and his scalp was instantly drenched. "Curse the darkness all you like, but you'd better pack a fucking flamethrower."

He gave a short, rough laugh and turned back to his console.

"Ah, but that's the thing. I'm a shinobi. And a shinobi is a tool. A hammer can degrade, a hammer can decay - but, hell, it can still be repaired, it can still improve. If you throw it away the minute it starts to show wear, then you might as well throw away all the good it can do as well.

The pain in his head had sharpened to the point of a needle, but it was good pain, bright and clear, hard and clean, like a blade of transparent aluminium running gently across his mind, and suddenly everything was wonderfully, lucidly clear.

_"Hey, how bad can it be?"_

* * *

Bad.

Very bad.

Naruto was no stranger to gunfights by this point, but even he was prepared for the raw ferocity with which Eclipse mercenaries fought. He'd fought turians and batarians and even some humans on purgatory, but Asari were vicious when it came to close quarters combat. The girls had their biotics and barries of course, but all he had was his assault rifle, a mediocre shield generator and his own skills. Not to mention Kaguya. But using her would've been overkill against a few alien women.

Vicious little things!

His arms pumped and strained wildly as he grappled with a huntress, his chakra honed hands struggling to find purchase on her slim frame. She spat curses and profanities at him, their harsh words dully ignored as he struck out at her time and timge again. Worthless human she called him. Weak. All that changed when he got his hands around her throat. Then she started begging. He ignored her.

_ Squeezed._

In the end, even the most honed of asari reflexes couldn't stand up to the assassination skills of a shinobi. For all the difference in appearance the aliens proved just as fragile as any human being; their necks broke easily-the center of their stomachs proved a fair weakness for even the softest of blows. Eyes were easy to gouge out. Between the four of them, the Eclipse Sisters were dispatched most ruthllessly. Hard to believe such beautiful creatures could be capable of such unmitigated cruelty, Naruto mused.

"Well, that was fun." Jack croaked. "We should do this sort of thing more often."

"Maybe...

Jodie nodded as she straightened from her predatory crouch, idly shaking the feeling back into her hand. For once they were in complete agreement. Then a look of uncertainty clouded her features. Her jaden gaze took in the yellow and back bodies, suddenly realizing that they were one asair short of a dozen.

"Where is-

"I am here, child." Samara made a pleased sound from a few yards away. Naruto looked on as she slowly, deliberately, raised her heel away from the throat of the lone Eclipse survivor. The woman began to rise behind her, sputtering a thousand thanks you's for the justicars mercy-

-and a bullet through the head put her back down.

"Ouch." he cringed.

"She has spoken." the asari sounded vaguely pleased with herself as she holstered her pistol. "And we are in luck. The fugitive I seek is bound for the AML Demeter. It is due to depart soon. We may yet catch her if we hurry. Come." Without another word she turn and strode away, leaving them to follow. Jodie and Jack trailed after in their wake. An awkard silence fell between them as they half-walked, half ran from the district to an unmanned hovercar, the very same one Samara had commandeered not so long ago.

"So, that's it?"

"Yes."

"Guess we'd better book it, then."

She sank seamlessly into the driver's seat and he did the same with the passenger. Jack and Jodie crammed into the back and the doors closed. Samara gunned the engine. With a soft whine its replusors caught and in an instant they were off, shooting through the skylanes of Illium. Her eyes caught his. Held them. It felt like she was staring into the well of his soul, silently contemplating whether to speak to him or put a cold piece of lead in the back of his head. He wondered if he could get to her before she pulled the trigger...

"I owe you my thanks, Naruto." she said at last, her admittance diffusing the tension. "When I came to this planet, I did not believe I would be working with others. You have proven yourself...capable." Her words made him flush slightly. He'd always been big on praise, even as he grew older. That it was coming from an asari matriarch did little to ebb the pride he felt swelling in his chest.

"Gee, thanks. I think."

Jack snorted in the back seat. "Don't look now, but I think we're here."

All eyes shifted towards the cargo bay rapidly approach. According to the Eclipse merc, the Demeter was to dock here, smuggling out illegal goods and in this case, a wanted murderer. It made little difference to him in any case-anyone who delighted in ending lives needed to be dealt with. Immediately.

Quickly they disembarked from the shuttle, making for the nearest door. The area was practically swarming with Eclipse. Also problematic.

Before they could do either however, the doors whooshed open before them. Naruto froze.

A woman, a turian and...wow. Just...well-wow. What kind of self-respecting human woman wore a catsuit in this day and age? Might as well just have the girls bouncing in the breeze! And were those heels? In combat? Bloodly ridiculous. The little orange logo on the woman's outfit did little to assauge his disbelief. He very nearly barked out a laugh, and very well would have had Jack not snarled a foul oath. It was a simple word, one he didn't know or understand:

"Cerberus?!"

But whatever the hell it was, it set the other squad off. All bloody hell broke loose.

Guns rose. Safeties clicked to the off setting. Biotics flared.

Samara looked ready to flay someone with her mind. "Stand aside."

"You first!"

Jodie growled behind her helment. "I'll make you!"

"Whoa, whoa whoa!" Naruto shouted, trying to preserve at least a modicum of calm! "Easy, people!" What came next didn't help any.

"Subject Zero?" the catsuit woman spoke with an accent-one he couldn't place-her perfect brow drawing up in surprise. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?" The convict hissed at her; a viper cornered by a larger predator and ready to bite.

"My name is _Jack,_ you Cerberus _bitch!"_

"Look, Commander, they've got the justciar with them." the turian murmurred. "Ideas?"

"Great." he grumbled. "More small fry."

The harsh click of a loaded gun filled his ears. There was a silence, as though the trio were wondering whether they were friend or foe.

Naruto sighed. "What, did we miss the party or something? Mind putting those guns away?

One wisecrack-one!-and a single glance at his mercenary armor instantly made him foe in their eyes. Now he had a freaking _shotgun_ pointed at his face.

"Well, that escalated quickly."

"So you're the one sabotaging our mission." the leader, a woman whose face remained sheltered behind an N7 helmet, growled out. She sounded absolutley livid, her voice vibtating with barely controlled anger. "Just who the hell do you think you are? Do you have any _idea_ what's at stake here?"

"Well, the name's Naruto. I love ramen, noodles, broth, and I have IDEA what you're talking about-

"Okay, hotshot. Any last words?"

Violence it was, then.

"Just one." he sighed, raising his hands. "Why such a big shotgun?" his lips twitched as she stilled. "Trying to compensate for something?" Jack snickered softly. "But wait, you're a woman, so-

Her only response was a furious shriek.

Naruto twisted aside, feeling a warm fist shoot across his face as her shotgun discharged, the bullets shooting pass his whiskered cheek with less than an inch to spar. Then he was focused on twirling out of the way-his skin standing on end as a powerful biotic shockwave shot past him and carromed into a series of crates. In the same instant Jack and Jodie struck together as one, a concussive wave of biotic force all but flatterning the turian and human woman to the ground. They'd live. Hopefully.

In the corner of his eye, he saw the N7 woman drawing a bead on him again.

Without thinking, he instinctually thrust a fist forwards, a column of air pistoning out from his outstretched hand. Unprepared for this unseen assault the human woman didn't have time to brace herself; she could only cry out as a wall of wind picked her up, and slammed her into the nearest wall with all the force of a small atom bomb. The impact knocked her helmet askew/free sending dark red hair glistening in the fading light of the Citadel. She glared at him, her bright eyes shining blearily in the dark, boring into his own. Then she slumed, speeling taking her. Blue eyes bulged. Her face.

_It was Jodie's face._

"Shit." Jack muttered. "Is that...

"Yeah."

Jodie removed her helmet. Her complexion was positively pallid. "Wh-Why does she look like me?"

They were looking at Commander Jane Shepard, formerly of the Alliance Navy. And he'd just knocked her out.

"Ah, balls...don't worry, I have an idea."

"And that is?"

Grabbing Jodie by the arm he turned and bolted.

_"We run like hell!"_

**A/N: Aaand there you have it! My work continues! Couldn't resist that ending XD**

**Anywho, I**** worked extremely hard on this one, so I hope to hear what you think! Will Naruto join up with Shepard? Or will he forge his own path? Pairing is uuup in the air! YOU DECIDE! And on a final note, thank you to everyone offering emotional support in regard to my health woes. Its greatly appreciated! An awful lot is going to change in this story soon! Look forward to an epic prank next chapter...provided my health holds out. So I'll say for all of you...HAPPY SUMMER! I've worked my but off on this, and I sincerely hope that I haven't dissapointed ya'll! **

**So...in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview! MAJOR CANNON SHIFT APPROACHING!**

**(Preview)**

_"Eclipse! Why is it always sodding Eclipse?!"_

_"-hit shit shit shit shit shit SHIT!" Jack was shouting, the car weaving wildly to and fro as she fought for control. Most of the right front side of the car had gone, ripped away by the main impact of the missile, leaving a smoking hole that looked out on the Illium starline. The right hand door had gone too, leaving the whole side open to the air. Jodie was clinging to the seat for dear life, her eyes shut in thinly veiled concentration. As a secod rocket hit the biotic barrier she'd erected around their car, that concentration faltered._

_Oriana yelped and tried to curl into a bal between the two women._

_"Somebody get me off this thing!" she cried!_

_Naruto growled._

_"Samara, help her!" __Without waiting for the wounded asari's reply, he slapped the front seat with his good hand._

_"Jack! Up! NOW!"_

_"Fuck you, I'm driving!"_

**_"THEN AVOID THE GODAMNED MISSILES!"_**

_As the tattooed convict kicked the car up a few gears and sped off, another missile, a gleaming blue ball of light shedding layers like an onion, whipped past barely five feet away on the right with a roar. And on top of it all, his mouth had started to bleed again. The AML Demeter was less than a foot ahead of them, the distance shrinking fast. The killer -Morinth- was just inside. Close enough to touch. Enough...to reach. If someone did something really, incredibly stupid. He risked a glance over at Jodie. Her nose was bleeding, eyes quivering with strain as she fought to keep the barrier up. Samara wouldn't be going anywhere with that wound. _

_Jack was still driving._

_Which left him._

_Swearing, he slapped the hatch, and peeked out what was left of the passenger door. Wind lashed at his face, nearly ripping him clear out of the aircar. Jack shouted at him over the gale and tried to pull him back into the car. He shook her off, a subtle sheen of chakra engulfing his legs. She noticed._

_"What the **hell** are you doing?!"_

_"What does it look like I'm doing, woman?!" he snapped back, roaring over the storm._

_"Like-_

_"JUST FUCKING DRIVE!"_

_Incredibly, she complied._

_Kaguya took one look down with his eyes and gave a fearful shriek._

**_"Don't you dare!" _**

_Naruto could think of only one appropriate phrase to describe this situation in that moment._

_Fuck! My! Life!_

_Then he leaned out of the opening, tensed his body..._

_...and jumped._

**Hope you enjoyed! R&R! =D**


	4. Chase

**A/N: Alright ladies and gentlemen, I'm alive! I've been better given all the problems I've been going through, but I'm still breathing. Still kicking. I've been on a Mass Effect craze as of late as I'm sure you all noticed; its just my way of coping with life atm. Not only has my stupid heart failed on me again, but I've been suffering through the loss of several family members. Add to that the state of my joblessness and the school bills that keep racking up, and I'm in a bit of a tight spot at the moment. Yet here I am, fighting this damned depression, not giving into despair. To all my readers/reviewers who have encourage me in this time, I say this:**

**Thank you all for you support, and here's hoping I make it through the rough road ahead of me! *Raises glass in a toast* Long live Fanfiction! And in case my health goes south...Love ya'll! Expect an update for Bring Down the Sky to be coming soon! Remember, I own nothing! And prepare for a shocker! And of course, a fair bit of humor!**

**ALSO! My computer is down! BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH! I literally woke up this morning and it wouldn't work-whereas it was just FINE LAST NIGHT!? Anywho, I'm writing this from my stepdad's computer, so updates might be sporadic for a bit! Grrrrr...so angry right now!  
**

**Well...here ya go! =D **

_"Bang. You're dead."_

_~?_

**Chase**

Running like hell didn't work very well.

Ordinarily it would have, but when one considered that there were several squads of _Eclipse_ standing between them and their target, things became...

...problematic.

They ended up having to slog through company after company after _merc company_ guns ablazing; biotics and chakra flaring, their weapons devouring clip after thermal clip and spitting what remained as empty refuse out the chamber, ever eager to consume more. No words were exchanged between the four of them. Only death. Naruto didn't like it.

He didn't like it at all.

Apparently these squads viewed them as nothing less than dire threats to their objective, because the insufferable bastards fought to the last man. Or perhaps there was something more dire at work here. The last one he'd shot bore a crazed look in his eye, dying with the name "Morinth" whispered on his bleeding lips. Samara had become tense after that, her already icey countenance turning positively frigid by comparison. She was keeping something from him. He knew it. He'd asked.

But whatever it was, she wasn't telling him.

The silence hurt.

Jodie had fallen eerily silent as well since she'd seen Shepard's face. Her face. Or was it their face? Hmmm..._oi oi oi! Bad brain! Focus!_ He bitchslapped his mind back onto track, blue eyes focusing on the clone-Jodie!-once more. Her eyes looked hollow. Empty, even. She was still perfecly capable of ripping a man's skull off with a biotic blink, but beyond that she made no effort to speak. Jack wasn't talking either, prefering ample use of her shotgun and biotics to making idle conversation. And with each second if silence, Naruto seethed.

The encounter with the Renegade Shepard-she certainly struck hi as one-seemed to have put a wall up between him and his squad. What had once been affable, if slightly volatile group, was now cold and hard. Distant and distracted. And when you were distracted, you made mistakes. But this was worse than that. He simply couldn't take the silence.

**"I rather like it, actually."** Kaguya mused-in his mind's eye he could see her running a slender finger along the curve of her full lips.** "Its...quiet."**

_'Yeah, well I sure as hell hate it.'_

By the time they'd cut a swathe through them and reached what he _prayed _was the final elevator, the tension had become unbearable. He ached to speak with someone, anyone. To disssolve this nameless tension that had sprung up between them. In the end, Naruto waited until they were all firmly within the elevator before he made his move, impatiently biding his time. They passed several floors in a rush-then he finally deemed it was time. Time to talk.

"Alright, enough!"

The three woman started in surprise, staggering now at his hand smashed into the emergency stop, grinding the elevator a violent halt.

"Naruto, what are you-

"You," he began, rounding on Samara. "Are going to me what the deal with this criminal is. Now. Or so help me god I will _sabotage_ this elevator like nothing you've ever seen!" His words resonated through the confines of the tiny cabin that was their momentary coffin. "No more stabs in the dark! Answers! Now!" Hearing those words, staring into those milky white eyes-Kaguya's eyes-produced an interesting reaction the Justicar. She _flinched._

"I..." the asari paused, her mouth working as though she'd just tasted something incredibly foul. She actually seemed to be at a loss for words when faced with those blazing white eyes. "She-that is-Morinth...she is my eldest daughter. An Ardat-Yakshi. I will not ask if you know what that means, only that she is an incredibly dangerous woman and must be stopped at all costs. She corrupts her victims, seduces them, sways them until they are nothing more than puppets to her will. And when they meld, she consumes them, burning out their nervous system and growing stronger from it." the words had come in a rush, and now, they ended.

Naruto blinked. "Shit. I didn't know it was that bad." Part of him was tempted to apologize; but he knew in his heart that no words would ever change the pain.

"This...is difficult for me to discuss. I am sorry if my silence offended."

"Was that so hard?"

His gaze settled on Jack.

"Don't you go all psycho-analyzing on me, buddy." the convict hissed, her voice caught-trapped-somewhere between a snarl and a growl. "But yeah, I've got beef with Cerberus. Bastards tortured and drugged me when I was a kid. That's all you need to know. I see 'em, I kill 'em. Simple as that. And when I find the ones that did this to me," those dark eyes narrowed hatefully, shining with foul purpose. "The galaxy's gonna be missing some really nasty people. Gotta problem with that?"

Naruto recallled the squad they'd wasted. The woman in the catsuit. That icon. Shepard. She was with this Cerberus organization-a group that performed experiments _on kids?_ Any respect he might've had for the woman evaporated in an instant. Jack wanted to kill a few of those bastards? He'd hold them down while she pulled the trigger.

...I'm, surprisingly alright with that."

"Well, shit." she actually sounded surprised to hear those words, the mass effect field engulfing her hand having all but vanished by now. "Maybe I won't tear you a new one after all."

Finally, his attention fell to Jodie. Her silence was perhaps the most painful of all. He didn't need the Byakugan to see the tension in her shoulders, the way she nervosly chewed at her lower lip as his eyes settled upon her. Just looking at her reminded him of a kicked puppy. Poor thing. Jodie didn't know what was going on. Didn't understand. And how could she? Someone, was wearing her _face._ She didn't know that it was the other way around; that she was an incredibly powerful clone who, through means Naruto himself didn't quite understand, appeared to most, if not all, the memories of the original.

Jodie didn't know any of that.

If anything she looked like she needed a hug. But he doubted she'd react all that well to physical affection right now. "And as for you,"

His voice softened as he beheld her.

"You are your own person. Hey," she tried to turn away, to which he cupped her cheek and turned her face back to him. "Listen to me. You're you. Jodie. No matter what anyone else says, or what we found you in that old pod or anything else. You have thoughts. Feelings. Emotions. You think. You're real. You _exist. _Those thoughts? Those feeling? They belong to you. Nothing can take them away, not in a million years. And if anyone tries...I'll cut their balls off and sell 'em to a krogan." he finished, making his voice as intimidating as he could possibly hope it to be. It worked.

Jodie lowered her gaze until she was staring firmly at her boots. Her cheeks were a bright red, the warmth of her face burning into his battered glove like a small heartbeat.

"Thank you." she said in a tiny voice.

Belatedly, he realized her cheek was still resting in his palm. An awkward silence, even longer-stronger-than the last, seemed to fall over them. Finally, Naruto managed so salvage the situation with a half-heartes smile-one he didn't entirely feel.

"Its what I do."

"Great," Jack quipped. "Happy feely time is over. Now, can we get this show on the road?"

"The Demeter is due to depart in less than five minutes." Samara informed.

"Call the car to our position, then."

Satisfied that all was as it should be once more, he slapped the controls again and they shot upward once more.

**"Its a trap, trap, traaap."** Kaugya sang softly in his mind as they rose to what she believe was almost certain doom. **"Its definitely a trap. This is precisely the sort of thing my followers and I had to worry about when the world started to fear me."** She sounded almost nostalgic; the wistful emotion momentarily obscuring her ever-haughty tone. So unnatural was it for her, that, for perhaps the first time in decades, he dared to ask her a question.

_'I didn't know you had followers?'_

There was a stoic, stony silence. When at last she spoke again, the woman's voice was surprisingly soft.

**"Not anymore."**

Naruto blinked. He forgot sometimes that Kaguya had been human once, just like him, before she'd eaten that fruit. Before- _No! Bad! Traitorous thoughts! Pluck them out!_

The basic electronic display over the elevator suddenly chimed, indicating the floor they'd reach was the one they'd sought. Lit up in a bright 25, with a quiet _ding_. Naruto pushed himself away from the wall and stepped in front of the doors, waiting for them to open as the Rabbit Goddess' voice blaring inside his head roared into its third chorus.

**"Called it!"**

They opened. Seven armoured Eclipse soldiers and an Asari stood just outside, doubtlessly waiting for the doors to open, and, although he couldn't see their eyes within their helmets, he had no doubt whatsoever that they were all staring at him. The look on the blue alien's face however, was decidedly mixed. Shock came first, then suspicion, followed by something pure murder. She yanked, pulling someone out of sight towards her. His eyes tracked with the motion, realizing right away that the situation had become complicated. It was a girl. She looked suspiciously like that other woman. And yet not. But was that a corpse-who might that be?-cooling at their feet?

_Very complicated._

"You'll never take her alive, bastard!"

Alive? They weren't here for her! Whoever she was?!

"Let me go!" the girl cried, her large dark eyes shooting down to the stiff body that no one seemed to notice. Her tan face went pale. "You shot him!? You shot Niket?!"

_Ah, hell._

**"Aaaaaaand here comes the hero complex...**

For maybe a quarter-half-of a second nobody else moved, immobilised by surprise, and then Naruto struck. He'd had his assault rifle almost at the ready, and he brought it up, acting on instinct alone, and rattled off a triple-shot burst. He didn't even have to pick a target. He was barely a metre away from the first one, and from there neither the unfortunate asari's kinetic barriers nor her thin plated armour could stand up to the shots, which speared through her heart in a quiet puff of purple blood. She started to slump, and then the world unfroze and her companions started to bring their own guns up, but Naruto was still moving.

Neither side had been expecting this-but Naruto had reacted fastest. And he was already on their leader. Behind him, he heard Jack's shotgun snarl. Jodie's twin pistols barked out their own retort, to which the deadly thrum of Samara's biotics answered. Men and women were dying all around him, but he only had eyes for the captive.

Captain Enyala didn't even have time to blink before Naruto slammed into her, knocked the human woman out of the way and rammed his own pistol up under the asari's chin. Then he fired. Bang. Death. Bits of grey matter and purple flesh spattered the the docking bay, a slick lining of violet gore splashing into his face. He wiped it away with an armored hand.

Oriana whimpered, hugging her knees. "Oh my god...you...and she...

Naruto barely heard her. He spun, half-expecting to find a bullet in his back-only to realize that the remaining mercenaries had already been scoped and dropped by his allies. Swiftly. The pale ghost of a smile lit his face at the realization. He loved these girls...

**"Oh?"**

_'Shut up! Its a figure of speech!'_

"What're we doing with miss crybaby over here?" Jack gestured with her shotgun toward the still-quivering hostage, muttering nonsensically to herself. Naruto sighed. He was getting too old for this shit. Really he was. Out of the corner of an eye he watched Jodie come forward, laying a comforting hand on the younger girl's shoulder. That clinched it.

"She's coming with us."

"Ha?!"

Those words were suddenly drowned out by the roaring wash of an engine, punctuated as a large skycar descended from the nearby lot-a matte iron grey paint marring its otherwise yellow and black hull. Ugly little thing. Out of the corner of his eye saw what looked like a tiny glint of metal in his eye. A necklace, a locket really, had been draped across one of the nearby containers. Someone was probably missing that thing, he mused.

Without thinking the matter over further he snatched it up.

"I have secured the captain's car." Samara called, holding her stomach-when had she been shot?-weakly, as though she were afraid its contents might come spilling out. Beneath the limp limb he could see a coat of Medigel, already working to clot the wound. "We must make haste. The Demeter has already departed!" She limped into the back seats and Jodie came barreling in after her, dragging a still shocked Oriana by an arm. Jack slammed into the driver's seat without hesitation. Naruto slipped into the passenger seat.

"Go, go, go!"

Then, almost mercifully, it started to rain. Somehow, Kaguya took a dry humor in it.

**"Let there be rain."**

_'Oh shut up,_' Naruto groused as they lifted off.

And all bloody hell broke loose.

* * *

"Eclipse! Why is it always sodding Eclipse?!"

"-hit shit shit shit shit shit SHIT!" Jack was shouting, the car weaving wildly to and fro as she fought for control. Most of the right front side of the car had gone, ripped away by the main impact of the missile, leaving a smoking hole that looked out on the Illium starline. The right hand door had gone too, leaving the whole side open to the air. Jodie was clinging to the seat for dear life, her eyes shut in thinly veiled concentration. As a secod rocket hit the biotic barrier she'd erected around their car, that concentration faltered.

Oriana yelped and tried once more to curl into a fetal position between the two women. She'd recovered enough sense to realize she was in danger; but also enough to sass her rescuers. Much to their intense annoyance!

"Somebody get me off this thing!" she cried! "I wanna get off!"

"Yeah, and I want a star cruiser! Not gonna happen, sweet cheeks!"

_"Jack!"_

"What?! Somebody's gotta be the honest one!"

Naruto growled.

"Samara, help Jodie!" Without waiting for the wounded asari's reply, he slapped the front seat with his good hand.

"Jack! Up! NOW!"

"Fuck you, I'm driving! Have you ever driven something like this?!"

_"JUST AVOID THE GODAMNED MISSILES!"_

"FINE! Fuck you very much!"

As the tattooed convict kicked the car up a few gears and sped off, another missile, a gleaming blue ball of light shedding layers like an onion, whipped past barely five feet away on the right with a roar. And on top of it all, his mouth had started to bleed again. The AML Demeter was less than a foot ahead of them, the distance shrinking fast. The killer -Morinth- was just inside. Close enough to touch. Enough...to reach. If someone did something really, incredibly stupid. He risked a glance over at Jodie. Her nose was bleeding, eyes quivering with strain as she fought to keep the barrier up. Samara wouldn't be going anywhere with that wound.

Jack was still driving. No way in hell was Oriana up to something like this.

Which left him.

Swearing, he slapped the hatch, and peeked out what was left of the passenger door. Wind lashed at his face, nearly ripping him clear out of the aircar. Jack shouted at him over the gale and tried to pull him back into the car. He shook her off, a subtle sheen of chakra engulfing his legs. She noticed.

"What the **hell** are you doing?!"

"What does it look like I'm doing, woman?!" he snapped back, roaring over the storm.

"Like-

"JUST FUCKING DRIVE!"

Incredibly, she complied.

With that, he leaned out once more and steadied himself.

Kaguya took one look down with his eyes and gave a fearful shriek.

**"Don't you dare!" **

"_Hoshit!_" Jodie suddenly yelped, and Naruto's head jerked up reflexively at the noise. The clone was breathing hard enough to hear over the com link. "Barrier's gone!" Sure enough it was; the subtle veneer that'd once coated the car seemed to sputter and die before his very eyes, depriving them of the much valued protection. With him leaning out the door!

Naruto could think of only one appropriate phrase to describe this situation in that moment.

_Fuck! My! Life!_

Then he leaned out of the opening, tensed his body...

_...and jumped._

There was absolutely nothing to tell him that he was ascending, then falling besides the fact that his stomach appeared to be making a concerted attempt to relocate to his skull – the sky outside was utterly unmoving from his perspective. Leaning over to look down at his feet, he could see a whorled patte of colors shooting by from below as he fell towards the Demeter, but the wind was nothing short of eerie.

For a terrifying instant his body was completely weightless, hanging between the skycar and the ship. He could see his legs flailing wildly beneath him, searching for traction and finding none. Behind him, he was aware of Jack's disbelieving shout and Jodies cry of pure terror. Ahead of him the AML Demeter drifted in the air like a giant metal monolith, utterlly uncaring whether he succeeded or failed. If he didn't make it, he had only a long drop and Kaguya's furious shouting to look forwad to before he became a messy smear on the ground. Not something he was looking forward to.

Probably not something he'd be able to regenerate from, either...

And on the off chance that he _did_ make it he would be alone against what, if Samara's word was to be believed, was a very powerful and very _pissed off_ asari. In confined quarters no less. Not the most _ideal_ situation in hindsight, but it was the only one that ended with Morinth's death. The exhileration of this sudden lunge pounded in his ears, matching his hammering heartbeat. He just couldn't help himself. He whooped!

It felt oddly like being in a very fast elevator, albeit one without quite the same ride quality. The wind was roaring fiercely in his ears, but somehow his jump was kept level, so rather than let it fall wildly, he arced back at the Demeter like an arrow loosed from a bow. It wasn't as bad as he'd expected. It didn't change the fact that he was still falling from almost a mile up with absolutely no way to catch himself, but it was something.

And something was certainly better than nothing.

It suddenly occurred to Naruto that he had no way of breaking his fall regardless-whether he made it or not was irrelevant. It was still going to hurt. And it did.

_Clunk._

In that instant, all of his being focused on stifling the shout that threatened to come roaring out of his throat.

His shoulder collided violently with the hull as he rolled, popping out then back in again as he clamped down to the hardened metal carapace. _Ow! A thousand times! Ow!_ Almost immediatelly the winds tried to peel him off and fling him back, but he glued himself to its shell like a spider with chakra. All around him he could feel-hear-the air rushing by, the occasioinal discharge of the ship's shields crackling around him, leaving standing his hair on end. If the pilot was at all aware of an unwanted guest clinging to his ship, he certainly didn't seem to be aware of it.

_Yes!_ Naruto exulted quietly, clenching a fist. _Mission accomplished, baby!_ He allowed himself a moment of celebration before turning his eyes on the battered black hull. In a few minutes the ship would be leaving Illium altogether - and he'd rather not be standing outside when it left the atmosphere. Channeling chakra to his boots, he darted across the hull, searching for a point of entry. A hatch. Lever. Switch. Anything. But it seemed that they had built ships better in this era; because he found nothing of the sort.

So he made one.

Fingers drew back and formed a point, nails grew long and sharpened, piercing through his gloves. The flesh of his right arm bleaching a chalky white -the color of Kaguya's skin- beneath his armor. It was only a partial transformation, enough to give his limb that extra "oomph" needed to carve a hole for himself without damaging the limb. He didn't have time to wait for regeneration, not if this enemy was truly as deadly as Samara'd claimed her to be. He couldn't afford any weakness.

So he simply cut.

He pressed his changed arm down to the hull and made a sharp, slashing motion. The armor parted like butter. Two more swipes and he was completely through, forming a rough, if not man-shaped hole through which he dropped not a moment later. Promptly, the howling wind dropped to a mere trickle of nose, leaving him standing in dim, fluorescent lightning. Eerie.

To his great relief, there were no immediate civilians to be seen inside. Only cargo. Big, bulky boxes tied and strapped down. The kind you didn't want to slide around-they were capable of doing some serious damage. Likely they were fillled with red sand or some other such drugs. Wisely, he chose to give them a wide birth. Rounding the nearest corner he found himself face to face with a dead end. No cover there that he could see. The ship was rising now, probably veering off the skylane for the atmosphere. Not much time.

Another turn found him face to face with the cockpit. Peering through the window, he sighted down an old salarian at the controls. Definitely not Morinth.

He took a deep breath and glanced around. That was when he saw her.

A single asari, leaning against the nearby wall, one that hadn't been there before. She looked exactly like Samara. So much so that he almost hesitated. Almost. Time stood still. She looked as surprised to see him as he was her, but there were no weapons to be seen on her body, nor this slick, skintight body stocking that seemed to fit her like a glove._ Gah, focus, man_! She moved and he had a bead on her before a second step could be taken. It didn't phase her.

"Hello, stranger." she said, somehow making the word sound like a purr. She was wholly at ease-utterly unflinching in the face of almost certain death, staring down the barrel of a gun. "The name's Morinth. To what do I owe the pleasure?" her every word radiated a subtle _vibe_ an ease that permeated the very air they breathed. Something was wrong. Naruto followed her warily-watched her every movement with his eyes. His senses screamed that she was not to be trusted-that he needed to end her. Here. Now. Yet surely it couldn't hurt to hear her out...

_No._

A blink and a subtle nudge from Kaguya was all it took to shove the asari's influence away.

"Get out of my head." he hissed, raising his rifle once more. "I'm here to kill you. Nothing more, nothing less."

"Is that what my mother told you?" those full lips quirked in a petulant pout. "That I'm a monster?"

"Yes."

"Pity."

Then she speared him in a biotic charge before he could blink.

The air rushed out of his lungs in a mighty whoosh. Power. Momentum. Velocity. All these things and more added up to send him hurling through the cockpit, smashing down against door and driver both. Pretty sure that killed the salarian. Before he could rise she was on him, her hands locking around his face. His knee shot up, smashing into his stomach with enough force to smash her back up against the ceiling. He thought that would do it. But incredibly, she held on. Blue eyes blazed black. Something stabbed into his mind. Naruto snarled.

_You're mine now._

She wasn't expecting him to laugh.

"You think you're a monster?" Blue eyes flashed white, veins bulging on either side of his visage. You think to make me burn? Foolish creature. I am the inferno!"

_**"I AM YOUR DEATH!"**_

The hunter became the hunted.

This being, this...thing, this presence - it defied all logic. Any attempts on her part to define the enormity of the existence before her would have been fruitless. Older than time itself. She was but a speck before her, could no sooner quantify who or what or why it was, only that it existed and there was nothing she could do and_ oh Goddess what had she done..._

Something grabbed her. A parasite, latching onto her mind.

And in that awful moment, for the first time in decades, Morinth felt something other than desire. An emotion strong enough to overpower her arrogance and self confidence, filling her with dread. Belatedly, she recognized it-this age old emotion, the one she'd first felt when she'd learned her own mother would be hunting her down. It had a name.

_Fear._

Too late, the Ardat-Yakshi tried to break the meld. Kaguya held it open. And then she swarmed over the other side.

Morinth received the same treatment she'd dealt to countless others over her many years-the pain of having every thought eroded, her mind overloaded. Her brain began to bleed, hemhoraging blood and other fluid as Kaguya systematically destroyed her nervous system, burning it out. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, the sound trailing off as her concsiousness as utterly devoured and obliterated. Her corpse, alive one moment, then dead the next, shuddered as the Rabbit Goddess took complete and total control.

"Ah," Morinth's lips began to move again, cooing. "Finally. A body."

The gun was at her temple before she could form a third thought.

"Drop. Her."

"Don't worry." She soothed with the asari's voice, glancing down at Morinth's pale, slender figure. "I was a little too rough with her." Her hips swayed. "She's dead, and her body is already dying. In a matter of moments, this will be little more than a corpse."

"Then ditch the body and take the head. We're leaving."

There was a brief moment of tension between the two. Would she listen to him? Or would she try to flee and come what may? Then, finally, she nodded.

"Very well. I am with you, Naruto."

She watched him stiffen slightly as her lips touched his forehead. Let him dwell on that, she thought. Then there was only pain for both beings, wincing as her consciousness returned to where it truly belonged. Morinth's body slumped behind them, a shell once more.

**"Always."**

Then they realized something.

"Who's flying the ship?!"

**"Oh."** Both host and tenant had just enough time to see a skyscraper filling their vision through the viewport.

"Ah, crap, this is gonna sting isn't it?"

**"Indeed."**

_BOOM!_

**A/N: Aaand there you have it! My work continues! Couldn't resist that ending XD Kaguya's warming up to him! And another Naruto/Jodie moment! Daaaaw!  
**

**Anywho, I**** worked extremely hard on this one, so I hope to hear what you think! Will Naruto join up with Shepard? Or will he forge his own path? Seems like the latter so far! Pairing is uuup in the air! YOU DECIDE! And on a final note, thank you to everyone offering emotional support in regard to my health woes. Its greatly appreciated! An awful lot is going to change in this story soon! Look forward to an epic prank next chapter...provided my health holds out. So I'll say for all of you...HAPPY SUMMER! I've worked my but off on this, and I sincerely hope that I haven't dissapointed ya'll! **

**So...in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview! MAJOR CANNON SHIFT APPROACHING!**

**(Preview)**

_Naruto cocked his head aside at Thane. Idly, his eyes wandered the ruin of Nassana Dantius, the gaping hole in her chest. He couldn't bring himself to find humor in that instant. The drell had dropped from the vents like a wraith, ending three men and killing the crazed asari before he could blink.  
_

_"Impressive work."_

_"Gee," Jack snorted. "I almost feel bad for the Collectors now."_

_"Collectors?" the drell frowned.  
_

_"Aye." Naruto growled. "We're gonna nail 'em to the wall."_

_"Care to join us?"_

**Hope you enjoyed! R&R! =D**


	5. Two of a Kind

**A/N: Alright ladies and gentlemen, I'm alive! I've been better given all the problems I've been going through, but I'm still breathing. Still kicking. I've been on a Mass Effect craze as of late as I'm sure you all noticed; its just my way of coping with life atm. Not only has my stupid heart failed on me again, but I've been suffering through the loss of several family members. Add to that the state of my joblessness and the school bills that keep racking up, and I'm in a bit of a tight spot at the moment. Yet here I am, fighting this damned depression, not giving into despair. To all my readers/reviewers who have encourage me in this time, I say this:**

**Thank you all for you support, and here's hoping I make it through the rough road ahead of me! *Raises glass in a toast* Long live Fanfiction! And in case my health goes south...Love ya'll! Expect an update for Bring Down the Sky to be coming soon! Remember, I own nothing! And prepare for a shocker! And of course, a fair bit of humor! But in this chapter there is a great deal of action-not to mention a shocking revelation for poor Naruto regarding the reapers, one. that may just send our favorite blond over the edge...**

**ALSO! My computer is down! BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH! I literally woke up this morning and it wouldn't work-whereas it was just FINE LAST NIGHT!? Anywho, I'm writing this from my stepdad's computer, so updates might be sporadic for a bit! Grrrrr...so angry right now! But hey, this is a nice looooong chapter, and we cover a lot of ground here! The Illium arc ends this chapter, and its up to you who forms Naruto's crew! Be sure to tell me what you think!**

**Well...here ya go! =D **

_"There are a thousand ways to die...and I know them all."_

_~?_

**Two of a Kind**

"How in the _fucking hell_ did you survive that?"

Naruto tried to laugh at Jack's crass inqiry and ended up coughing out a tiny circle of smoke instead. _Ow._ Seemed he still had some ash within his lungs. He'd forgotten how exhausting it was to run around like that, in such a hurry, using up so much chakra, all without any sleep. In short...

_...not fun._

"Well...

Jack was leering at him now, choosing to withold any and all forms of their Med-igel until he answered her question. Now, he didn't neccessarily _need _the miracle gel but the last thing he wanted was to make his squad suspicious._ Huh?_ Not for the first time, that thought gave him pause. His squad. _I wonder when I started to think of 'em like that..._

"Beginner's luck?" he tried. Wrong answer. The tattooed biotic swatted him on the back of his head with enough force to make him see stars. This time, he really did laugh. She hit him, because she cared. He'd learned that back on the Purgatory. If she'd really wanted him dead a shotgun blast to the face would've done the job much better. Besides, she'd had ample time to leave...and yet she hadn't. She was the only member of the group uninjured as of yet, and thus, had the unwanted task of nursing each of them back to health.

After all, no one in the Suicide Squad-he'd thought up that little moniker himself-was particullarly trusting of hospitals in Illium.

Our blond protagonist was a little dizzy from using so much of his chakra -both divine and otherwise- in one outing. Let it not be said that using Kaguya didn't have any drawbacks. Coupled with the fact that it had been more than _three days_ since he'd woken from cryo and hit the ground running and...well, he was exhausted.

Samara was recovering from her gunshot wound through sheer force of will, a generous application of Medigel, and of course, meditation. Jodie could be heard feasting in the kitchen, devouring an exoribiant amount of food to replenish the stamina she'd expended today. He supposed it came with being twice as powerful as your average biotic. Poor Oriana was passed out in the bedroom somewhere, exhausted by the loss of both her  
"parents" as well as the violent uprooting of everything she'd every known. Her trauma was mostly mental, the physical, minor. But Jackie?

Not a scratch on her.

For some reason that the last Uzumaki couldn't yet bring himself to stand, the loner had chosen to stay with them. Perhaps she reasoned there was safety in numbers. Maybe she was just trying to screw over Cerberus and all those affiliated with them. Or maybe, just maybe, somewhere in that twisted pit of an organ she called a heart, the convict had actually started to care for her companions.

Jack bopped him again.

"Ehehehe...

"I believe he enjoys that." Samara chimed from her perch on the nearby couch. He could hear a smile in her voice. She'd been surprisingly broken up over the death of her child. Yet, in the days since, a light seemed to have been lit in those crystal blue eyes. Even now, as she recovered the matriarch was the picture of serenity. Now she'd just made a joke.

That got a grin out of her.

"Well, that makes two of us. Now piss off! And as for you," her dark eyes cut back to him. "Spill it. How did you get out of that building?"

The shinobi smiled and shruged as Jack tried to press him again, then cringed slightly as a vambrace fell off his mangled armo and clattered to the floor at his feet. Yup, he definitely needed a replacement.

"Lots of luck?"

_"Aaaargh!"_

In truth it had been a great deal more than just luck; that he still drew breath enough to complain at the moment could be attributed solely to his own skills. Not Kaguya's. He'd used his superhuman strength to blast a hole in the Demeter mere moments before impact and dive into the skyscraper. It only took a split second to create a Rasenshuriken and another to throw it. One more to watch the larger freighter plowed into the cold sphere of destruction and blew in half, then another heartbeat to shield himself from the explosion.

The subsuquent explosion had blown him clear out a window and sent him skidding down the sloped side of the building. From there, his controlled descent degenerated into a frantic flight for survival. Morinth's corpse slung over his shoulder, he was forced to alternate between running for his live and dodging falling debris as he went. He could still remember all the recall Kaguya's terrified shouts all the way down. _We're going to die_ she'd said! _We're going to die, going to die, WE ARE GOING TO DIIIIIIEEEEE!_

Just thinking of her very human-like terror, so unbefitting of a goddess, was enough to make him smile.

**...I hate you. WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST FLY?!"**

_'Dramatic tension. Whatcha gonna do? Besides...I may have, ah, forgotten. About flying, that is.'_

**"YOU WHAT?! Oh, and she's winding up again-"**

"Stop hitting him, Jack." Jodie's voice sang from the kitchen drawing him back to the present. Still hard to believe she was actually calling her by her name now. They'd mellowed towards each other after the incident in the cargo bay, just enough that he didn't have to actively intervene everytime they butted heads. Because it seemed like that was about to happen again. Sure enough, the freckled redhead came around the corner-idly munching on a granola bar as she walked.

Green eyes widened slightly when she saw Naruto was still wearing the melted husk of his old armor but if she was at all upset by it, she did little to show it. Besdies, her beef was with Jack, not him.

"Why don't you make me, princess?"

Of course, _that_ set Jodie off like a varren in a china shop, and soon enough the two women were bickering all over again. Naruto chose not to intervene this time as they bickered, instead limping over to one of the few empty couches positioned by the vd-screen that provided them with regular updates on Illium. Little arguements like this made it all worthwhile.

After the chaos that came with the chase they -along with a very stressed Oriana- had retreated to a nearby apartment to lick their wounds. It was, all things considered, a successful mission. Even if they had picked up an extra mouth to feed. But Naruto was satisfied. Morinth was dead, Samara was on his side, and, with all the credits they'd "taken" from the Eclipse mercs they could keep this place booked for the forseeable future. It was a home, for the time being.

At the very least a temporary one until the _Vendetta _-kami he needed to change that name- was refueld and restocked with food they could actually eat. It suddenly occurred to him that he had no idea what to do next; all of his actions until this moment had been based solely on _reaction_-from waking up in Purgatory and beyond; finding Jodie, fending off Samara, _helping _Samara, rescuing a young girl who bore a eerie resemblance to one Miranda Lawson, hijacking a ship, killing and Ardat Yakshi, crashing the ship into a skyscraper... Did he mention crashing the ship?

**"Should be interesting to see how you top that."** Kaguya mused as he slumped into the seat.

Naruto ignored her.

For a long moment he chose to just lay there, allowing the aches and pains in his arms and back to ebb and flow away. It was the first real chance he'd had to sit down after the insanity of Illium. His mind had a chance to think, a real opportunity to ponder his next move. Whatever that was-

"Is there something you wished to ask me, Naruto?"

Blue eye fluttered open to find Samara sitting a ways across from him, glowing white eyes staring out at the city stretching before the two of them. The Justicar had not moved to sit beside him; because he was the one to have moved. He realized that he'd accidentally chosen the couch nearest to her, thereby interrupting her meditations. Scooping himself up off of the sofa, he moved to sit beside her, mirirroring her cross-legged pose with all the grace and poise that came with being a shinobi.

"Not, really, no."

He stayed sitting there for five minutes or so, taking in the familiar shadowy recesses of the vast building blocks of the planet. _Won't be able to enjoy this view for much longer now that we've pissed off Cerberus...hmm that's actually a fair point. We'll have to blow this place soon. Leave the planet. But what then? So far I've just been reacting. Now that I have free reign again, what the hell should I do? What should we do?_

That got his mind whirring with ideas.

_The Vendetta's a nice ship, and all but even after the restock and resupply it's gonna be mighty crowded in there. Far too good a ship to scrap and tear apart, though. Upgrade it, maybe? Yeah, that's probably a good idea. Might as well do it here. Make it a human vessel. Old girl's got a Thanix Cannon and all, but she needs armor plating, better shields...maybe even a lounge or something...so many possibilites! And with all those credits we've got, its definitely feasible..._

-ssed?"

Naruto blinked, momentarily abashed to find that his mind had gotten away from him. He'd always had a fascination for things that went boom.

"I said you seemed distressed."

Naruto grimaced. He didn't like that she could read him so easily.

"Im fine, really.

_Liar._

"How are we doing?" he asked instead.

"I am well." she replied, forcing a smile.

"Because of the the Code."

"Yes," Samara blinked, surprised by his an. "If I follow the Code, I am just. If I do not, I am unjust. You have a similar set of principles, do you not?"

Oh, no. They weren't going down that road-not when there was another elephant in the room.

"About Morinth though," Some people might have got the distinct feeling that now wasn't the time to ask such a thing. Naruto sailed straight past it. "How are you _really _holding up?"

"What would you have me say, Naruto?" her voice, once serene and calm, suddenly broke with pain. "Should I express relief that you killed the smartest and bravest of my daughters? That you burned the body to ash before my very eyes, that I watched those ashes flutter away into the wind?" blue eyes turned toward the view port, quietly observing the early morning light with just a touch of sorrow. "I am glad, grateful even, that the threat she represented is now ended, but...I feel as though a chapter of my life has ended and now-

She left the sentence hanging there, half pride and half mourning. It got a contemplative silence of a few seconds, with nothing but the low-level ambient hum of the air conditioning systems drifting in and the murmur of Jack and Jodie's wilting arguement from across the hall. Naruto could almost convince himself it was like any normal day with their little group. But it wasn't. It never would be. They were four strangers brought into one group by a matter of circumstance and to move on from here, they'd need a purpose to continue.

They needed a goal.

**"Kami, don't tell me you're going to use that speech-**

"..."

**...damnit."**

"Look," he began addressing Samara. His voice emerged as little more than a sigh. "I know what it feels like to lose someone close to you. I had a friend once. He was like...a brother to me. For the longest time he was lost in the dark, so hellbent on a vendetta to avenge his people. His clan. Finally, it consumed him. We came to blows over it. Went our separate ways. Came together again, tried to kill each other a couple of times. His mind was twisted up in what he believe to be right but when it came down to it, when the fate of the world was on the line, he shone through. Together we fought a great evil-

**"Hey!"**

_'Oh, hush.'_ he sighed. _'That was a long time ago!'_

Shaking his head, he continued.

-and at the end of the day, he sacrificed his very soul to trap it inside of me. I'd like to think he redeemed himself in the end."

The Justicar looked at him for a long moment, her expression inscrutable.

"This is why I sensed that darkness within you." It was not a question. "You are not human." Neither was that.

"Right on both counts." Naruto chuckled sheepishly, his good arm rising slowly to scratch at the back of his head. "So...could you not tell the others? I think they'd appreciate it more if it came from my mouth." Well, he hoped Jack would understand. The alternative was being shot in the face. He reeeeeeaaaaally didn't want to be shot in the face.

"And you are certain they would not dissaprove? They have proven themselves capable of violence at the slightest provocation."

"Lies and slander," Naruto murmured. "They're good girls. Just...misunderstood."

There was a beat of silence between them, justicar and shinobi. Neither spoke. Perhaps they didn't know what to say. Maybe they were each equally unwillling to degrade the moment with words. Both recognized each other as a warrior of their time, a force to reckoned with, wholly uncompromising in their ways. Finally, someone broke.

"You are...different from anyone I've met." Samara inclined her head minutely, respect shining in the cold pools of her eyes. "You have been given multiple opportunities to commit injustice-such as aiding Cerberus-and yet have not. You've have proven yourself a warrior of virture." those icy orbs held him, leaving him momentarily transfixed. "I would be honored to work with you."

"Great." Naruto said sepulchrally. "Feel free to sign the roster."

"I must be sworn to your service then, so I am not forced to choose between you and the code." Oh. That sounded...binding. She was rising now. Standing.

"That isn't neccessary-

Too late.

Wordlessly she dropped to a knee. A faint biotic glow suffused her body. Her limbs. Blue eyes blazed white.

"By the code I will serve you, Naruto. Your choices are my choices. Your morals are my morals. Your wishes are my code." With those words here entire body seemed to pulse-there could be no other word for it-and all the hairs on the back of the blond's neck stood at attenttion. He realized he was witnessing something few must ever see. How rare it must be; a Justicar, someone who prided themselves on justice itself, relinquishing her Code to serve under him. It was...humbling.

"I'm honored."

"If you force me to do anything dishonorable," she said as she rose, "I may be forced to kill you once my oath is released." was that a smile, lifting her lips just now?

Naruto blanched. "Right. I'll be sure not to do that."

"Um...

Both warriors turned as Jodie made herself known, having at some point disentangled herself from bickering with Jack. Her words, however, were directed solely at Naruto. Slowly, grimacing at the cracking sounds that his melted armor made, he rose to his feet.

"Something you needed?"

"So...what are we going to do with...her?" Green eyes shifted uneasily to the one room no one had dared enter for the last hour.

Naruto's gaze cut to the bedroom where Oriana had barricaded herself. He'd nearly forgotten about her. "Is she still in there?"

"Yeah," Jack chimed, glancing up from her now-disassembled shotgun. "Just checked a second ago. Little shit's out like a light."

Naruto sighed, his brow drawing down in a soft frown. If that woman really was her sister-well, he didn't have much choice now, did he? His morals wouldn't let him do anything less. He suddenly realized that Jodie was watching him. Waiting to see what he would do next. She'd been watching him from the moment he'd released her from her pod, observing. His morals were her morals. For everything he did, every good deed, she had struggled to emulate him. He'd never been more aware of that then he was now. Talk about your Carte Blanche. Hey...

An incredible idea entered his mind.

"I know that look." Jack frowned, hopping off the counter, her earlier arguement all but forgotten. "What're you planning?"

Impossibly, he smile grew.

"Something very stupid...you up for screwing with Cerberus?"

Her grin was the purest, most vindictive thing he'd ever seen. "Hell, yes!"

**"Now's as good a time as any, I suppose."** Kaguya prodded him.

_'Gah, I know, I know..._

"Then listen up. Then listen again. I've got something to tell you guys..."

He told them his plan. Then he told them what he was. What he could do. And when all was said and done there was no confusion. No dissent. No demanding of answers. Just simple, muted, agreement. They would not judge him for something he had no control over. To his amazement Jodie actuallly approached him. When she grabbed him he stiffened, his instincts screaming for him to move. But there was no danger; her arms were not trying to strangle him, she simply held onto him, her face buried in his shoulder.

Her tentative embrace lasted all of a tenth of a second before Jack muttered something. Jodie jerked away, cheeks flaming as she returned one insult with another, but, the deed was done. It had served as a reminder; he wasn't alone. He would never be alone.

Naruto stayed standing at the counter for a second, staring out of the narrow window above it in thought. The view wasn't particularly grand or great, just showing yet another orange-tinted, skyscraper filled vista, but hey, it was better than nothing. Anything was better than nothing. In his mind, Kaguya was practically purring.

**"Finally!"** she crowed. **"Ohhhh, I am so going to enjoy this."**

_'Don't get ahead of yourself.'_ he warned. _'I'm only letting you off the leash for a little bit. Be good.'_

**"I promise nothing!"**

He chuckled at that, but there wasn't any real mirth in it. "Alright, people. Lets go to work."

* * *

Miranda Lawson stared into her shot glass and saw Oriana's reflection there, lingering in her dark, haunted eyes. Gloved fingers tightened around the glass. Her baby sister. She'd failed her. Tried so hard-gotten so far-but in the end, she'd fallen short. That failure, haunted her. For these last two days her sleep had been haunted by nightmarish visions. Staying awake provided little in the way of solace-every waking moment she saw her sister, in every human face, every passerby, silently condemning her for her incompetence.

Alone she'd come here, to an Illium Cafe, just to get away from it all. It shouldn't be like this. But it was.

Everything was falling apart at the seams.

In the past two and a half days Shepard had gone from the level - headed commander whom they all knew and respected to a violent, ill-tempered brute. Worse still, her body began to reject the implants; what'd once been a pristine face was now marred by three red lines beneath the skin. Nothing major, but corrective surgery would be needed soon. Miranda knew what was bothering the woman-her foul mood had everything to do with the squad that had ambushed them on the docks.

With the man working to sabotage their mission.

She needed to be in control of the situation. The Illusive Man had told her as much. Keep Shepard under control. But she wasn't. Couldn't. The man who'd laid waste to them was a veritable ghost; there was no data on him anywhere. On his companions, yes, but the man? Not even a name to go by. All they had was some camera footage. No name, no record, no anything. Beyond the one wanted vid of him that theyd seen. Beyond it, he didn't even exist.

Some of the folks on the SR-2 had taken to calling him Prometheus for shits and giggles. Its irony was not lost on Lawson. Neither was the anger.

Some people passed through passionate, fiery anger and reached the ice-cold, quiet lagoon on the other side. So far, Miranda wasn't one of them. The venomous fire inside her had instead begun to draw inwards upon itself, retreating to a whitehot nucleus that burned hotter and brighter every second, like there was a star blazing away in the core of her brain. _They have no bloody right to do this to us. To Oriana. To me. They have no right. NO RIGHT AT ALL!_

The damn man and his damned -blasted!- mercenary squad! They'd woken to find every Eclipse agent slaughtered and Niket -foul traitorous Niket -lying dead by a gunshot through the head. Oriana was gone. A careful search through the net revealed nothing save the astronomical death toll of Eclipse. Someone was cleaning house. And that someone had taken Oirana from her. She didn't know how she knew-only that she did. Maybe it was woman's intution. Or blind bloody luck. Who knew? It didn't matter in the end. She would find him, and she would make him pay-

"Good afternoon, Miss Lawson."

Her gaze snapped up as a soft voice called to her from her table, angry eyes cutting across the one who had spoken. No one should know that name.

She found herself face to face with a young woman, roughly twenty-or-so years of age. Clad in a flowing black dress this one was the picture of elegance; her long, flowing _white_ hair formed a flowing curtain down the length of her shoulders. Stylish, yet not overly so, just enough to frame a heartshaped face and bright marble-colored eyes. Her pale face was set in a slight smile. "May I sit?" she asked in a flowing voice, that despite Lawson's best efforts, managed to both ease and unnerve her all at once. "Thank you."

Without waiting for permission, she took a seat opposite her.

"My name is Kaguya." the woman interested herself. "I represent an interested party in the matter of your sister's recent...dissapearance." Turning, she waved down a waitress and asked for tea. Miranda watched this movement like a hawk, her mouth set in a hard line. There was one option she'd failed to considered. No. Refused to consider. If Henry Lawson had gotten there first...

"I have nothing to say to one of my father's cronies." she hissed.

"Ah, but I don't work for your father." Kaguya's mouth quirked in an insufferable, knowing smile. "I work for someone else. What's that quaint title you're using for him nowadays? Prometheus? He has something to say to _you. _Personally, I believe it an exercise in futitly, but-ah, thank you," she paused to thank the young asari that arrived with her drink, and waited until the maiden was out of earshot before continuing. "He expresses regret for the matter that transpired in the cargo bay." A delicate finger rose leaning over to trace the rim of her glass in slow, sensuous circles. What came next changed everything:

"In fact, he wishes me to inform you that your sister is alive and well."

"He...what?" Miranda said slowly, and _now_ she was past fire and into jet-black, smooth, unyielding ice. That hot rage froze over inside her and turned cold in an instant until there was absolutely nothing left but simple, distilled, numbing hate. _Him._ Her fingers clenched around the glass. Part of her longed to lunge over the table and strangle this woman. She resisted. This was the link she'd been searching for! This woman had openly admitted to having Oriana. Now, if she could just radio the Normandy and inform someone-

"Don't bother.

"You will find that your comms are quite... jammed." the woman raised a dainty hand and pressed the glass to her full lips, taking a sip of her tea. "Calling for help will only result in unpleasantness. Ah." she smiled, sending an eerie shiver shooting down the other woman's spine, "It has been far too long since I've tasted this, on my lips. Far too long." a pleasant sigh trickled through the air between them. "But lets get down to businsess shall we?"

"What do you want?"

"Information." came the reply. Miranda cut her off before she could continue.

"You mean on the Collectors."

The woman's brow rose, a rare look of surprise momentarily overtaking her features. "That's twice I've heard that name now, in as many days. Explain."

"They're servants of the Reapers, that's what they are." Exasperation colored her tone. "And they're abducting colonists all across the Terminus." Kaguya had turned ashen now, her normally smug countenance oddly blank, by comparsion in the wake of those words. Something had shaken her. Badly.

"Do you...have an image?" she spoke slowly, choosing the words with care. "Of these reapers?"

Miranda summoned up her Omni-tool. Jammed though it might be, she could still access her personal files. The picture arose almost immediately-revealing the likeness of what looked like a giant, armored, interstellar squid of some sort. Miranda had no way of knowing, but these were the same creatures that had once struck fear into the heart of this woman. She had no way of knowing that she was practically a Goddess-that even _she_ feared these creatures. That she despised them, beyond all else.

"That, is-was-Sovereign. A reaper." she explained.

Kaguya nodded slowy. "I see." her words were barely a whisper.

Miranda saw it as an opportunity. She capitalized on it. "Look, we should be working with one another, not...

Kaguya didn't answer.

In the ensuing silence, Miranda began to have a very _bad_ feeling about Kaguya. Quiet was good, but everything could be taken too far. When Miranda looked at this woman, there didn't appear to be any major change – and then those white eyes swung around and met Lawson's, and her heart skipped a beat. Those eerie eyes suddenly frightened her very terribly-and she couldn't say why. It was more than just their pitiless, steady, ice-burn; there was something there that slid a frozen hand down her back and throttled her nervous system, and she couldn't understand what it was until she realised he was looking at it the wrong way.

It wasn't that she could see _something_ in her eyes. It was the opposite. She couldn't. What she was looking at was the complete absence of limiting factors, of constraints and rules and codes and anything that'd could or would have held a sane, rational persona back on any other day. She was staring into an abyss that was staring _back._ And then, the woman spoke.

"I am not here to negotiate an alliance, Operative Lawson." her voice could have frozen hydrogen. "I am simply here for an exchange. Do you, or do you not, wish to see your sister again?"

For a horrible moment, she couldn't bring herself to breathe. Because she already knew the answer. _Yes._ A thousand times yes. She loved her sister more than life itself. More than Cerberus. More than humanity. If it'd keep her safe, then she'd do anything. Even kill the Illusive Man himself. Information on their cause and goal was a small price to pay by comparison. "Yes." she replied. Then words flowed from her mouth like water-all the plans all the details-the Omega Four Relay, everything.

She even transferred a number of requested Cerberus files pertaining to several "acquired" children for a biotic project to the woman's Omni-Tool. She doesn't know its a fake, that the address given to her is sending all that juicy information straight to a certain blond's om. And all the while Kaguya just stared at her with those eerie white eyes and listened. Watched. Waited. Finally, after what felt like hour but had really only been half of one later, she finished he tale.

"Is that enough?"

Kaguya smiled.

"Yes."

Miranda couldn't quite stifle her relieved sob. "Oh, thank god-

"However,"

Once more, the silence was deafening.

_"What?"_

"You've provided me with useful intelligence, and for that, I thank you. But I think we should continue our...relationship."

A cold knife of dread stabbed at the ice queen's heart.

"What do you want me to do?"

Kaguya's smile was decidedly deadly. "My benefactor has a plan. Suffice it to say you owe him, a favor. One task. Whatever he asks, you will do. This is not an attempt at blackmail; merely a promise. We will not harm your sister in any vein,but neither will we allow you to return her to Cerberus custody. They cannot be trusted, not by any means. Keep her on the ship if you must. But when the time comes, remember what you owed him. That is all I ask."

"And I say no?"

"Ah," Kaguya purred. "I was hoping it would come to this."

"Come to-

Miranda didn't see the third eye blossoming in the woman's forehead until it was too late. She'd never experienced a genjutsu before, one as finely laid as this. In an instant she was hopelessly bound-her mind captured and taken hostage as a single command was imprinted upon it. Kaguya smiled. "Good girl. Now you're going to be oh-so-helpful and do whatever I say, neh?" In the time that it took to put the elder Lawson in a trance, she summoned Oriana out of the shadows. The girl remained quite skittish in her prescence, but soon, this would all be over.

A wink, and it was.

Miranda blinked, touching hand to her forehead. Odd. Why did she have a migraine all of a sudden? Must be the stress. But even that thought fell away as she laid eyes upon the now stock still figure less than a foot or so away from her. Her eyes widened and she shot up from the table like a rocket.

"Ori?!"

The girl stiffened with a small cry, a deer caught in the headlights, standing ramrod straight as her sister went to her. Kaguya almost pitied her.

"Well," Miranda said after a deep intake of breath. "That was very enlightening." She looked over at the woman, who had apparently made it her number one mission to maintain eye contact at all costs, and then at the quiet woman pinnioning her with that gaze. Bloody hell. Her head swiveled once, as if to say, _keep talking. _So she did just that. "I can't thank you enough for-

"Farewell, Operative Lawson." the Rabbit Goddess said, rising effortlessly from the table. "It has been a pleasure." Her mouth quirked in a slight smile as she moved; heels clicked quietly against the floor as she walked, gliding effortlessly into the distance.

"We will not meet again."

When she turned to risk a glance back at her, all she saw as a plume of smoke.

* * *

_(Meanwhile, in the Illium Marketplace...)_

"Fuuuuuuuuck!"

Naruto jerked and doubled over as the clone poofed out of existence, its memories -and Kaguya- rushing back to him in a red sea of pain. Putting her into a clone had been risky as well as painful. His lungs were twin cauldrouns of fire by the time he got control of himself again, throwing up a mental metal wall between him and the shards of glass stabbing into his brain. He had no idea how he was still alive, but he was damned if he was going to object that he was still among the living.

_Risky._ his mind chastised. _That was very, very risky._

_'But it paid off, didn't it?'_

Creating a clone was easy, but giving Kaguya direct control over it, allowing her to leave his body - that'd hurt. Taking all the chakra back into himself was taxing even for his regeneration. But sending an unknown was the only way to ensure Miranda wouldn't leave outright-and now he had a wealth's worth of information stored in his head. Collectors. Servants of the reapers. The same abominations who'd glassed his planet and sent him to this far away era. Or was it a different universe entirely? Who knew? Perhaps they simply purged all universes, in time...bah, no more brooding. He needed to recover.

**"Ah,"** Kaguya purred like a contented kitten from within his head. **"That was wonderful. Shame about the Reapers, though. It killed my good mood...**

Jodie was suddenly at his side as he came back to himself, her green eyes wide and frantic with terror. He could hear her words, faint and muffled through the pain and then-

_Pop._

With a blink, his hearing returned.

-right?!"

"Fine, fine." he soothed at her, straightening from his pained crouch, his hands creasing at his armor. "Just catching my breath...

In the meantime since they'd put his plan into action, he'd purchased a suit of ebon black armor to replace the one he'd charred in the fires. All sleek edges and streamlines, the heavy plating was more than enough to stop most bullets as were its shields, yet stilll light enough for him to move like the warrior he was. The thing handled like a dream. Even when his body hurt like hell. But it was more than that. Collectors. Reapers. He had a connection now. A link. A goal.

A purpose.

The same beings that had attacked his home. Slaughtered his people.

"Did it work?" Jack asked.

_"Lets find out."_

He glanced down at his Omni-tool and realized it was active, signalling that a file-several in fact-had been transferred to him. From on Miranda Lawson. But there's more than that. An assassin. Here. On Illium. Skilled, it says. Very skilled. He feels his lips curl in a small smile as he reads over the name. Thane Krios. _Hello, Mr. Krios...what brings you to Illium?"_

Naruto grinned as he returned his attention his comrades. "Well now. Looks like there's some ruckus up in the Dantius Towers. An assassin. Shepard hasn't gone after him...yet. Might as well go have a look see if he's interested in knocking a few heads together."

"What, we're throwing ourselves into the fire again?" Jack growled, incredulous at such a ludicrous proposal. "No fucking way! You can take that shit and sh-

Naruto's response was to transmit the files on Cerberus directly to the convict's Omnitool. Any protest she might've offered withered and died as she saw those files.

"Tch, fine. But after this, I don't owe you shit!" Naruto knew the words were empty and so did she; a thin veneer of bluster so she didnt appear soft. He shook his head at the thought. What a strange group he'd found himself with...

"So," he began, steering the conversation into safer waters, "I guess Samara isn't back yet-

"I am here."

Naruto started slightly as the asari's voice sounded behind him; she had somehow managed to sneak up on him when he wasn't looking.

"Jesus, don't _spook_ me like that!"

"I apologize if I have offended." her head inclined demurely.

"Did you find out anything?"

The Justicar inclined her head in a nod. "Operative Lawson returned to the ship with her sister immediately. I can verify that neither she nor anyone else has left the Normandy since. The bug you planted has picked up some chatter as to their plans, but nothing concrete yet." The unspoken warning lurked there, hanging like a noose over their heads. _They haven't moved against us yet-but they will. Soon._ Naruto knew it. Jack knew it and so did Jodie.

Their move against Miranda was solely a delaying action; one that disguised an intelligence mine as gesture of good faith. Oriana had no idea they'd stuck something like that on her clothes. At least now, they wouldn't be completely blindsided. But once they discovered that bug...it was going to get ugly. Fast.

"Good. That means we've got some time. So we find Krios, make an offer, and then we get the hell out of dodge.

He trailed off as he saw Jodie poking around a nearby kiosk. The gentle green pools of her eyes were fixed on what looked like a set of azure armor-with a price tag that made his recent acquisition look positively tame by comparison. So focused was she on said item that she'd neglected even to take part in the conversation at all once she'd determined he was in good health. Unbidden, a chuckle leapt from his lips

"You want that, huh?"

She started, caught redhanded.

"I...ah...

_"Jodie."_

"Yeah." Her eyes shone in unspoken need.

Naruto sighed and made the purchase. "There. Its yours. Now get suited up. We've got a Drell to find."

The redhead beamed.

She'd never been happier in all her life.

* * *

Commander Shepard had never been more _miserable_ in all her life. She didn't understand what was going on.

_Jane_ didn't understand it.

She was a hero to humanity. A bloody icon. The Butcher of Torfan. She made the hard decisions, did what was right. Some might call her ruthless. She thought of herself as pragmatic. She did what was neccessary for the good of the galaxy. She'd stopped Saren. Thrown away human lives to save the Council, gave them their deaths in exchange for the lives of the Destiny Ascension. Secured humanity a seat on that damned throne, done everything asked of her and more.

But now?

Now, she was nothing. Being beaten by a bunch of merchs was one thing, but this? Being tossed out of the Alliance was like a punch to the gut. From a drunken krogan. Yeah, she was working with Cerberus. But they were only ones doing anything about the colonies! That'd been the last straw. So the Alliance kicked her out. Fuck them. Fuck that man and his allies. Fuck everyone. They'd thank her someday. At the end of it all, she would be the one to save them - and then they'd come crawling back, Anderson and all the rest. She was a godamned Spectre.

She need the Alliance.

She had the Illusive Man's backing, and she had her team. What was left of it. If this stranger kept acting as he did, he was going to undermine everything. Jane hated him. Despised him. That cocky grin of his, the odd way he spoke to her, the demeaning, mocking lilt of his voice. He thought he had the upper hand on her. Thought he was in control.

But she paid her debts.

Her eyes narrowed on the grainy footage before her. Finally, they had a name to go wtih the face; they'd let it slip. _Naruto._

She was going to _end_ him.

* * *

One purchase and a discreet discussion with another asari later, and Naruto and co. were on there way.

They jogged down to the garage and selected a car to suit their needs-staying carefully away from what looks a great deal like several shoddy taxie cabbs-and they all piled in. Within seconds, they're jetting away into the searing brightness of Illium, ready to wage another war. The coordinates have come through from Miranda's file; they mark out a location deep in the residential distirct. Jodie calls up a map as they plan their next move-they'll land near the tower under construction, rather than just fly up.

Less risk of being shot down that way.

Illium flashed past the windows, a neverending blur of twilight speckled with streaks and spots of brightness. It's quiet in the car. All they could hear is the quiet hum of engines. Jack drives, and for once, they actuallly stay aloft and don't get shot at. She circles around the building he's chosen and brings the car down. They get out, weapons in hand, and wait for the inevitable assault. Inevitably, Jodie was the first to find her voice-a soft whisper barely making itself known over the fading sound of the car's engine.

"So...now what?"

Samara's ice blue eyes roamed the platform, and found nothing. "We should be prepared for an ambush. It is likely that they have guards waiting."

"Anybody home?"

There was no response. Naruto frowned and signaled each of them to wait-wondering if they'd somehow gotten it wrong. No guards to greet them. Not even mechs. He walks to the edge of the building and looks down. Darkness yawns beneath him, crisscrossed by flying skycars and the occasional tanker. No guards above. None below. So where is everyone?

He steps back and double-checks the coordinates on his omnitool, unease growing within him. They're in the right place. Aren't they? Could he have done something foollish? Naruto considered asking Jack if she'd done something wrong or made a mistake somehow- tries reaching him once more, and then a warning flashed in his visor. So too, did Kaguya's voice in his head.

**"Sniper Lock!"**

"Incoming!"

The bullet should have pierced his shields and blew a hole through his brain. It didn't. Instead he was merely staggered, stumbling back into the car. Jack raised a hand and The next shot whistled harmlessly overhead-alongside the unlucky Eclipse sniper who'd dared to take the shot. Naruto laughed; because suddenly their vision was brimming with a sea of yellow and black uniforms. A rasenshuriken circled lazily in his hand. He felt the adrenaline pounding, his heart hammering with the promise of action.

So it begins.

* * *

There is a simplicity to war.

No time to think; none to react.

Naruto moved like a wraith in the shadow of the Dantius Towers, pulping heads in his hands, grinding others to gory smears with rasengan and the occcasional Rasenshuriken. He doesn't use his weapons. Not this time. There's an anger burning through him, a need to physically crush the foes standing before him. Collectors. Reapers. They're connected. The realization is jarring - painful. Yet at the same time empowering. Anger fueled him, coursed through his veins like burning plasma.

His body quaked with fury as he charged forward, shredding a row of attackers with a sweep of one golden arm. In his left hand the corpse he'd been using as a shield began to fall apart, and he hurls its useless meatbag aside. He grabs a salarian by the throat and crushes him, tossing the body away, bodily picks up an asari and sends her screaming to her death over one side of the bridge, caves in a human's skull with one massive headbutt. He does not feel the pain of a hundred gunshots eating away his body. Because they are not there. He heals before they can fire again.

There was a freedom in fighting with your bare hands, carving and cutting and cursing your way to victory. He didn't need a rifle; his body was the weapon-his hands and legs the rounds. Chakra-the trigger. They came to fight him, and they died like animals. He made no wisecracks, offer no jokes or crude humor for those he killed. He simply stormed over them and moved on.

He was the vanguard of their destruction; anything left behind is swiftly mopped up in short order by the rest of his squad. But he was not wholly without mercy. They freed several Salarians on the way, even acquiring a new sniper rifle for Jodie.

Here, high cliffs of buildings pressed in overhead, closer together at the rooftops than at ground level, the walls wreathed with cables and pipes and AC boxes and other half-constructed equiptment which splintered the fading light overhead and cast wild shadows on the shiny, bloody floor. He ran, cut down another merc, and another, then emerged blinking onto the crosswalk. Wind slashed at them from this high altitude, threatening to send their little group spiralling off the precipiece and to the ground below.

Beyond them the Eclipse had entrenched themselves fierce, as Nassana Dantius continued to rant and rave through the loudspeakers. Even from here they could see the missile emplacements near the roof, the squads ducking into cover at the risk of sniper fire. It was, in short, an impenetrable position. You had to come to them. They certainly weren't coming to you.

"Well, _fuck."_ Jack muttered. "How are gonna get across that without getting our shit blown up?"

Jodie cradled her new Viper rifle carefully, training her eye through the scope. "I can't get a good shot from here."

"I could form a shield," Samara offered, "But I am not certain it would last under that much fire."

Naruto sighed. Kaguya frowned.

**"What are you-**

"Plan B, it is, then." Wordlessly he tugged onto his helmet, the world falling into a slight blue haze. A HUD formed in his peripheal vision, locking onto the soldiers and mechs, one by one, by one until he was certain he had targeted most, if not all of Nassan's remaining forces. From there, it was a simpl matter of channeling chakra to his gauntlets. Kaguya gasped. He could practically _hear_ the thought slott into place in her mind.

**"Oh, I love plan B!"**

"I thought you might."

Simple.

Naruto raised both hands, a Rasenshuriken circiling in each palm.

Small at first, they began to swell, growing larger and larger as he ground them together, forcing two to become one. Within moments he was cradling a sphere roughly three times as tall as he, and twice as large. The chakra roared and keened in his hand, ready and waiting to be released. It was made with the sole purpose to target and destroy. There would be collaterall damage. The bridge would almost certainlly falll. The waiting soldiers seemed to realize this, some bringing up their weapons and firing from the hip. If he threw it-

And he did.

With a might heave the last shinobi flung the Chou Odama Rasenshuirken. The massive shot forward at breakneck speeds rapidly reaching the terrified soldiers-

-and imploded.

What was one suddenly became many, dozens of tiny spheres shooting unerringly toward the Eclipse Mercs. Ten dropped before they could get to cover, their helmeted skulls pierced by the deadly spheres-their shields all but ignored by the coursing power of the wind chakra. The rest managed to live for a handful of seconds before the tiny blasts homed in on them, perforating chest and stomach and skull alike. Not even the armored rocket emplacements were spared; the tiny globes seemed to dance on the wind itself, striking unerringly at the launchers.

There was a moment of silence, unbroken as twenty men and women breathed their last. Finally, someone spoke.

Jack whistled.

"Sheesh, remind me never to piss you off."

Naruto nodded and started forward across the now-empty bridge. A lone merc-the only survivor-dared to poke his head out of cover. Jodie's rifle rose and fell unerringly, a single, solitary shot leaping from her weapon to bore its way between the human's eyes. Naruto didn't even glance backward. But he did smile.

"So noted.

* * *

Thane Krios was...not what one might expect.

Naruto cocked his head aside at the Drell, frowning at him in the setting sunlight. Idly, his eyes wandered the ruin of Nassana Dantius, the gaping hole in her chest. He couldn't bring himself to find humor in that instant There was simply none to be found. The drell had dropped from the vents like a wraith, ending three men and killing the crazed asari before he could blink. That would've been difficult, even for him. Not impossible, but definitely difficult. He felt a nugget of respect coalesce in his chest.

"Impressive work."

Krios didn't react, his hand still folded before his face.

"Um...hello?"

At that, the alien _did _raise his gaze, those black eyes blinking slowly.

"I apologize." he said, the words deep and throaty. "Prayers for the wicked must not be forsaken."

Jodie frowned, a glimmer of uncertainty showing in her eyes. "You think she deserves it?"

"Not for her, Commander Shepard." Thane answered, causing the biotic to tense. "For me."

The redhead was already speaking before Naruto could stop her. Thankfully, Samara did.

"I'm not-

"Yeah, kinda a long story, that." he cut in mercilessly. "Bottom line is, we need your help."

"An assasin with a conscience," Jack snorted. "Gee, I almost feel bad for the Collectors now."

"Collectors?" the drell frowned.

"Aye." Naruto growled. "They're abucting human colonists. We're gonna nail 'em to the wall." Grinning, he extended a hand.

"Care to join us?"

**A/N: Aaand there you have it! My work continues! Couldn't resist that ending XD Kaguya's warming up to him! And another Naruto/Jodie moment! Daaaaw! And now Thane's joined up!**

**Anywho, I**** worked extremely hard on this one, so I hope to hear what you think! Will Naruto join up with Shepard? Or will he forge his own path? Seems like the latter so far! Pairing is uuup in the air! YOU DECIDE! And on a final note, thank you to everyone offering emotional support in regard to my health woes. Its greatly appreciated! An awful lot is going to change in this story soon! Look forward to an epic prank next chapter...provided my health holds out. So I'll say for all of you...HAPPY SUMMER! I've worked my but off on this, and I sincerely hope that I haven't dissapointed ya'll! **

**So...in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview! MAJOR CANNON SHIFT APPROACHING! **

**(Preview)**

_"You cannot stop us." Harbinger rumbled, its deep monotone making his very eardrums vibrated with every word. "We have an army. We are legion. You are wounded, you cannot escape."_

_Naruto tacitly said nothing, testing the weight on his leg._

_Yeow!_

_He was still standing on it by necessity and the pain was still shooting up and down his leg like lightning, but when the armour deployed a cooling balm of medigel to the ankle the worst of it disappeared, leaving a hard, hot, dull agony behind. He gritted his teeth as the murky lights of the Collector Vessel flashed past alll around him and took a step forwards onto his injured foot. The pain flared again, but it was manageable, bearable. For the moment, at least. And then he laughed._

_"Yeah, about that-_

_His eyes flash white. A rasenshuriken circled in his hand._

**_"We have a Kaguya."_**

**Hope you enjoyed! R&R! =D**


	6. Broker of Shadows

**A/N: Alright ladies and gentlemen, I'm alive! I've been better given all the problems I've been going through, but I'm still breathing. Still kicking. I've been on a Mass Effect craze as of late as I'm sure you all noticed; its just my way of coping with life atm. Not only has my stupid heart failed on me again, but I've been suffering through the loss of several family members. Add to that the state of my joblessness and the school bills that keep racking up, and I'm in a bit of a tight spot at the moment. Yet here I am, fighting this damned depression, not giving into despair. To all my readers/reviewers who have encourage me in this time, I say this:**

**Thank you all for you support, and here's hoping I make it through the rough road ahead of me! *Raises glass in a toast* Long live Fanfiction! And in case my health goes south...Love ya'll! Expect an update for Bring Down the Sky to be coming soon! Remember, I own nothing! And prepare for a shocker! And of course, a fair bit of humor! But in this chapter there is a great deal of action-not to mention a shocking revelation for poor Naruto regarding the reapers, one. that may just send our favorite blond over the edge...**

**ALSO! My computer is down! BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH! I literally woke up this morning and it wouldn't work-whereas it was just FINE LAST NIGHT!? Anywho, I'm writing this from my stepdad's computer, so updates might be sporadic for a bit! Grrrrr...so angry right now! But hey, this is a nice looooong chapter, and we cover a lot of ground here! The Illium arc ends this chapter, and its up to you who forms Naruto's crew! Be sure to tell me what you think! Props to Stroke1986 at deviant art for giving me an idea in this story! I credit him/her fully!**

**Well...here ya go! =D Enjoy the humor! And we get to see some new characters this chapter! One of which I'm sure you'll recognize...AND FAIR WARNING! An awful lot happens in this chapter! ITS ANOTHER LONG ONE! Also, major bits of NarutoxSamara fluff as well as NarutoxJodie in this chapter. Hope you're ready for it! And remember, I own nothing!**

_"We spend our whole lives holding back. Imagine how much easier things would be...if we just took what we wanted."_

_~?_

**Broker of Shadows**

"Your vessel is...impressive."

Naruto's head poked out from a tangle of wires, his soot-soaked face streaking a wide grin as he spotted Thane Krios standing below him. "Thanks. Settling in well?" There was a moment of shared silence betweeen the two assassins after he asked that question; one from an age long past, the other, a lethal instrument of death in his own right. It was a quiet born of respect for one another - both were very good at what they did, and they shared a goal here in this ship.

Finally, the assassin nodded. "I have moved what meager possessions I have to Life Support." firm hands clasped behind his back. "I hope you do not mind."

"No, no, no, not at all." a small smile was only narrowly restrained as that greasy head ducked back into the upper deck. "Make yourself at home. What's mine is yours, 'ttebayo!" those words were considerably muffled by whatever task he was attending to within. Evidently he'd done some research on the extranet. A lot of research. Let it not be said that Uzumaki Naruto was not a many of many trades. He'd been poking his head into the ducts for the last hour now, installing who knew what up there. He'd said something about a personal security system. Who knew what that implied?

As the blond continued to rattle around in the coils, Thane allowed himself a moment to apprecate his new home. Naruto had been extravantly honest as to how he'd come by it. What amazed him was whatd been done to the corvette in the last few days. Among other things.

His ally reminded him very much of a hamster on coffee.

But all things considered, he had to give the techs credit where it was due; the upgrades had come in marvelously. The halls and walls were made of gleaming silver that curved in several directions; one curved toward the cockpit, the other circled toward the new and improved CIC and finally, the third split in a path toward the armory and airlock before trailing off an elevator. An elegant inward design all things considered. He'd seen the improvements downstairs as well; a fully outfitted medbay, lounge, kitchen, life support and bar were but a few of the creature comforts Naruto had added above the engineering deck.

Kuril's old ship no longer resembled the angular abomination that first brought Naruto and Jack to Illium five days ago. Two days after Krios had joined them they'd shuttered the Vendetta into drydock and retreated to the apartment. Now, forty-eight hours and many credits later, their ship was fueled and ready to go. Its hull curved like the once placcid oceans of Kahje, black as the sea of stars overhead. Thane thought to himself. Sleek and deadly. Efficient, yet unique.

So much like the crew who called her home. Her name was also fitting.

_Prometheus._

Krios wasn't entirely sure what had spurred Naruto to choose the name, but, he felt it fit as far as human terminology concerned. Their corvette was roughly three quarters the size of the Normandy SR-2 now, but with all the tech they'd packed into it in the last few days, he was certain it could sustain a prolonged firefight with anything short of the Destiny Ascension herself. Perhaps even that. Her captain was a mysterious man-one who seemed to command not only the respect of his crew, but their loyalty as well. There was just something about him that drew you in, made you instantly like him. Despite your best efforts. So strange-

"Owowowowowow! HOT!"

This time Thane couldn't quite keep the smile from his face; not as Naruto tumbled out of the shaft and crashed to the ground at his feet. Every part of him was noticeably singed and his eyebrows were all but gone, his entire form smoking softly as several tiny fires flickered in his hair and across his body. Despite the fact that he'd just created a small fireball in the inner workings of his ship, the whiskered warrior looked quite pleased with himself, grinning as he lay there on his back.

"It works." he crowed proudly, bolting to his feet. No doubt alluding to the defense system he'd installed. "Yes! I knew it would work!"

_"Right, Chief."_ a dry, sardonic voice quipped from the ship's speakers. _"And you only blew yourself up once."_

"Bah." Naruto sniffed, snuffing out a flame in his hair with two fingers. "I wasn't trying to singe your wires, Cortana."

_"Oh, I'm sure you weren't."_ came the cheeky reply._ "Otherwise I'd have to toss you out the airlock."_

"You don't have arms." the captain countered smugly. There was a silence.

_...damnit."_

Ah, yes. Another of the many surprises that seemed to come with this ship. One they hadn't discovered until well _after _the upgrades and retrofits were installed. Warden Kuril's ship had a nasty little secret buried within its walls, something that didn't so much bother Thane as it did startle him. It had revealed itself to them only recently-surprising even the normally taciturn Samara with its prescence. This ship had an onboard aritificial intelligence, shackled and integrated into its systems. In other words...

_An AI._

It was restrained, but still intelligent. Dangerously so, some might say. Kuril had his fingers in many a pie, it seemed. This was but one of them. Why a human AI, though? Why not a turian one? Why indeed. Perhaps it had been intended to remind the racist warden that she was beneath him, somehow. Perhaps not. Who knew what had gone through the madman's head?

She would occasionally manifest in a nearby terminal as an attractive holographic human woman, lines of code running down her violet purple body. She spoke as a human would speak, cracked the occasional joked-he had even caught himself thinking of her as a _she._ If it weren't for that synthesized voice, one might even think that she were real. Who knew if it were true or not? Cortana had no data on who had created her - or even if a brain scan had been involved to emulate real emotions as a human should. She simply was. Existed.

For the life of him though, he still didn't understand why it always addressed Naruto as _Chief._

"Alright, time for a test drive." Naruto's voice dragged him out of his mental isolation. Thane looked on as a hologram issued forth, representing a loading screen, followed by a soft chime. He was only slightly surprised when a small, mounted turret swung down out of the opening through which Naruto had fallen a few moments ago - and targeted him. It swiveled to Naruto, back to him, then swung back into the panel from whence it came with a tiny whoosh. Naruto clapped his hands together in quiet appreciation-

_BOOM!_

-and sighed as its smoldering carcass dropped to the floor not a moment later. Thane coughed. Naruto groaned.

"Damnit." he drawled. "Really thought I had it this time...

_"That's what you get for running it on a closed circuit, Chief."_ Cortana chimed. _"If you just used a different algorithim and rerouted the forward capacitor-_

"Oh, forget it." Naruto threw up his arms in submission. "I admit defeat! We need to find ourselves a damn engineer to do this sort of thing. I'm just no good at it!"

"A pity." those nictating membranes blinked once. "You are unharmed, I trust?"

That one earned him a sour smile.

"Just my pride, Thane."

An easy silence passed between the two killers. Finally, his grin brightened.

"Alright, why don't I show you the features that _do_ work."

"No more explosions, I trust?"

Naruto laughed. "No promises."

"After all, I'm sure Samara's having more fun than we are right now...

* * *

Samara did not enjoy being fired upon.

Nearly a thousand years old, she had firsthand experience with most weapons known to man or asari. She knew their rate of fire, stopping power, even the number of rounds that could be discharged before a spent clip needed to be ejected from the chamber and a fresh one slotted. Having mastered most of them, she considered herself fully prepared for all but the most lethal of weapons - and even those she possessed some form of rudimentary knowledge towards them at the very least.

But this time was different.

The sniper's bullet caught her almost completely unawares; slamming into her neck and flattening against the instinctive barrier she'd erected at the last instant before riocheting away. It saved her life.

Instead of piercing the base of her spinal column and taking her life as its owner no doubt intended the shot merely sent her staggering a few steps forward. By the time the next shot rang out -the searingly hot line of its passsage sending civilians shrieking and screaming for cover- she was already well into motion. Her swift stride devoured the distance between her and the nearest kiosk, a single biotic leap launching her across the trading floor, carrying her toward the relative safety afforded by the vendor and the thick, heavy plating of its durasteel.

A third shot rang out at the epicenter of her leap - punching through her weakened to defenses to draw first blood. It carves into her flesh, drawing an angry welt of blue blood across her thigh before slamming into the portion of floor she'd just vacated. A rare hiss of pain leapt from her lips. She felll roughly on that injured leg, tumbling away and into cover before the hitman could try to snap off another shot. Footsteps pound behind her. Reinforcements

Samara grit her jaw. The last time her heart beat so wildly was when she saw Morinth's body, cold and limp and dangling from Naruto's hand. That same heightened sensory experience came on again now, triggered by the potential for violence. She's simultaneously exhilerated and afraid. There was a time, long ago, when firefights like this excited. Thrillled her. She lived for the rush of combat, the fierce freedom that came when you were fightning for your very life.

Now, she feels old. Tired. Her submachine gun feels heavy in her hands. In that instant she wanted nothing more than to return to the _Prometheus _and depart, to leave this den of thieves and liars behind. But it seems that the assassin disagrees. They, whoever they are, clearly want more than drawn blood. They want her dead. Samara takes a moment to ponder this as she pokes her head out of cover-ducking down as another shot screams past. She wonders who. Who could have ordered such a thing? Shepard? No. That one was many things, but not a coward.

She wouldn't have order her turian boyfriend- ah, the wonders of that listening device- to snipe her purely out of spite. She didn't operate that way. Or maybe she did. Regardless of the motive, it meant that the party behind this had a vested interest in seeing her dead. The who was complicated. _Why_ was easy enough.

Prior to this engagement her task had been a simple one, if a tad mysterious. Naruto had asked her to deliver an intriguing packet of data from the Cerberus files to one Liara T'soni. Supposedly she was a dear friend of Shepard's. They'd even been intimate, once upon a time, during the hunt for Saren.

Needless to say, those feelings had cooled significantly since the Commander's "death".

According to the Miranda's files, they'd hadn't spoken since that first fateful visit to Illium some months ago. No emails, no keeping up via the extranet. Nothing. From what they knew, T'soni had a vendetta against the Shadow Broker. Not a force to be crossed lightly. But Samara was nothing if not loyal; and this presented another valued opportunity to cultivate a valuable resource. The maiden had been suspicious of course, but one did not question a justicar like Samara long before they recognized their cause to a futile one. And once she'd seen the data, all inquiries had ceased. Going after the Shadow Broker.

It had seemed like such a simple task at the time. Apparently it was important enough to warrant the execution of a justicar.

_Bang._

The harsh and deafening crack of a Black Widow to her left jerked her out of her thoughts; alerting her to the prescence of another sniper, this one closer-somewhere out of sight. She didn't know if this was friendly fire or no, only that it didn't hit her or graze off the ruined husk of her cover. Her arm popped up and fired blindly-the gun rattling in her hands as she swept it back and forth. A trio of pained grunts answered her. More fire tore away at the kiosk, trying to strip her of cover. Instead she strips them.

_Of their lives._

Samara boosted her barriers and lurched upward. The bullets fly through the airs, ready to claim her life. She doesn't breathe. Every fiber of her being is focused on this single, monumental. Then those bullets stop violently short, colliding with a barrier sprung from nowhere. The bullets flatten, turning magma red before they're flung back at her in every direction. Right back into the hapless squad trying to cut her down. She stands just long enough to watch as they tumble to the floor, then drops back down into cover. More molten metal sprays after her retreat.

One of the bullets nicks her arm, burning it. She squelches back a howl as the other bullets slam into the wall and floor around her, leaving smoldering, blackened holes. Her omnitool flashes, its soft ping goind unheard in the chaos raging around her. A message. By the Goddess, now is not the _time-_

"Hold fire!" a female voice barks, hoarse and angry. "I said hold fire, godamnit!" And then, incredibly, it stops. Samara doesn't wait. She pops up again, grinding the remaining troopers to a gory smear on the ground in the time it takes for the speaker to blink and dropping down before the lone asari can draw a bead on her. Then the words hit her.

_No._

She knows that voice. She fought with her once. A snake of dread coils in her gut.

Samara steps out. "Vasir!" she lifts her gun. The asari stands in the center of the trading floor, wearing gunmetal blue azure armor. A smile poised on her lips, an M-15 vindicator assault rifle lifted delicately to rest against her shoulder. Samara felt a tiny bad of sweat trickle down her cheek and grips her own Avenger tightly. Her hands feel sweaty. This is no mean foe for her to vanquish; the asari standing before her may be younger, but she is also a force of nature in her own right. Killing her will be no easy feat. Even if she's finally alone.

"Well, shit on a stick. It really is you." She drops the assault rifle to her side, grinning slightly. "I can't believe it. _Samara._ You haven't changed a bit. I was what, a hundred the last time I saw you?" her laugh is dry, an almost throaty cackle. Sardonic. "And here you are, all these years later, teaming up with my target. Small galaxy, huh?" And then the smile collapsed inward on itself like a black hole. All of the humor drained from her purple-tattooed face within a blink. "Drop your weapons. You're of no use to me dead."

The elder asari was incredulous; disgust and incredulity twined within her. "You would do this? Violate your own code?"

"Hey, its nothing personal." the spectre shrugged. "I'm just here for your boss, really. Broker's orders. He's got one helluva price on his head, and apparently the Collectors pay well for that sorta shit. I figure one of his crew ought to make for pretty good bait. And hey, if one more damn human has to disappear to keep the galaxy safe, then its a small price to pay."

Samara fought a smile. She didn't know about the data. Her response time was much too soon for that. She'd come here for another reason entirely.

"We shall see." She thinks of Naruto. She has to think of him before her resolve weakens. Vasir sneers, gracing her with an irreverent smile.

"I guess we will."

In that instant the Justicar caught a flicker of movement near the south trading floor. She fought another smile.

"No. You won't."

From out of nowhere, Black Widow barked again. Violet blood spattered the sidewalk.

"What... in... the_...hell?!"_ Vasir never noticed or heard the shot until that last instant. Until the heartless _crack_ of perhaps the galaxies most powerful rifle, deafened her ears. She was left looking down, her hand fisting against the small hole where her stomach had once been. The rifle clattered out of her hands. Even then, she could have done something. Retreated. Applied medigel. Something. Anything. Instead shock took hold and throttled her common sense into oblivion. Her mind refused to comprehend this; couldn't wrap itself around the ideal that she, a fucking spectre, had simply been _shot._

And by then Naruto was right on top of her.

"Funny thing about us humans," his voice hissed menacingly into her ear, "We're not as stupid as you might think. Be sure to say hello to your little "Broker" in hell. You'll be joining him soon enough."

_Oh, shit!_ Vasir's mind raced like a rabbid rat in a maze, scrambling for a solution in what she very well believed might be the very last instances of her life. _No. _She tried to fling herself away in a biotic charge, but her body wouldn't respond. _No!_ Too injured. _NO!_ rifle lay just out of reach. _NO!_ She only had her pistol left, and no backup to call upon. _NOOOOO!_ Her hand was moving, yanking it free but even as it did, time seemed to slow to a crawl around her. Naruto was moving. So was Samara. She'd only have enough time to shoot one of them. Then she would die. Even then her mind raged against it. _No-not like this! No no no no no oh dear sweet Goddess please no-_

Seething with despair she swung around line up a shot with her Carnifex, bringing it up. She takes another step forward and pulls the trigger. She pulls it five more times, until the chamber clicks empty. Samara was wounded. She was the lesser threat. Take her out first. Tela was certain, positive, that if she could just get her first then maybe, maybe-

Samara doesn't move. She is an easy target. Not all asari are created equal.

The bullets fly through the air. Vasir doesn't breathe. This is the moment. Now she can rest easy. Her gun smokes. And then he does it. The bullets, five in all, slam into the splayed fingers of Naruto's outstretched right palm, thrust now between Samara and death. His fingers close, trapping them, squeezing, turning them to so much dust. He caught them. Crushed them. The fucking bastard caught them with his bare hand!

Time moved again. So did Naruto.

Desperate, she tried to fling a warp at him as he charged. Something-anything-to buy her more time.

It was already too late. Much too late. A pair of strong, inescapable palms locked around her face forcing her to look at him in her last moments of existence. Palms tinged with chakra, powerful blue fields warping his arms and increasing his strength tenfold. Dark eyes bulged. Arms twisted. Vertebrae broke. It all happened in an instant. One wrench of his hands and something -her neck maybe...?- snapped like a twig. Vasir stood there for a long moment, slackjawed. Then she crumpled like a shoddy house of cards, a boneless heap of muscle and jelly. He let her fall.

There was an awful silence after that.

"You alright?" Naruto asked at last, turning toward her.

Samara managed a nod, but her arm and leg betrayed her. She hissed in soft agony and tried to persist. A mistake. Her body crumpled before she could so much as take a single step. Naruto noticed; in an instant she felt his strong arms enfold her, there to catch her before she could crash to the ground. Gentle hands slathered medigel on the wounds, his omnitool darting quickly to her injuries and applying the miracle creme with a single blink. Already she could feel a soothing, pleasant numbness engulfing her wounds. He was muttering something now, fussing at her.

-gotta stop getting shot." she tuned in just long enough to catch the end of a sentence. "That's twice now in the same week. Careful now, this might sting-

It did a lot more than that.

"Killing her was-_unwise!"_ Samara commented with a small gasp as he pressed his hand to the wound in her arm, her mouth forming a grimace as she looked past him, staring toward at Vasir's prone form. He'd broken her neck. There would be fingerprints. He might not be a known quantity in the galaxy as of yet, but killing a Spectre, especiallly one as infamous as Vasir, was bound to get him noticed. And the Broker. She had to tell him about the Broker...

"Eh?" Naruto blinked, drawing a bloody hand across her injured limb. "I just saved your ass. How was it not wise?"

"You just killed a Spectre."

He glanced up from the intel he'd taken, suddenly sheepish.

"Is that bad...?"

"You..." Samara stared at him for a long, teneous moment, almost disbelieving. Then she started laughing. She didn't know what prompted the floodgates to burst, only that they had. It had been difficult enough believing that he'd killed Morinth solely out of the milk of human kindness. Now he'd murdered Tela Vasir _-a spectre-_ to save her life. All this in less than a week! Sworn to him or not, the realization that this man had killed one of the galaxy's most elite operatives for her was enough to shake everything Samara knew about her life. It was either laugh or cry hysterically. She chose the former, opting to bury her face in the crook of his arm and chest and laugh quietly, softly.

This man was nothing short of remarkable.

Ah, if only they'd met when she was a maiden! She would have gladly taken him then. But it was too late for her now. More than a hundred years had been spent pursuing her daughter. Dedicating herself to the Code, both body and soul. That wasn't something you undid overnight. No, she couldn't give into this dalliance, even if it was permitted by the Code. What did it matter if he was the only man who'd proved himself worthy in her eyes? Nothing, she told herself. It meant nothing that he'd aided and abetted her at every turn since they'd met, even going so far as to risk his own physical well-being for her. Didn't matter that those strong arms were always there for her, always an ear to listen, always a shoulder to lean on-

_You want him, don't you?_

Samara went still at the sudden, traitorous thought. It was something Morinth might've said. That it had been her own voice, her own self thinking such things, only made her mind rage. _He caught those bullets for you didn't he?_ Once more, that small part of herself-the part that ached for companionship-whispered to her. _If that's not devotion I don't know what is._ The justicar shivered quietly at the thought, not trusting herself. Stop it, she told herself. You stop thinking those things right now. Stop stop stop...

"I'm gonna go with bad." Naruto deadpanned at her, completely unaware of the silent war taking place within. Samara tacitlly said nothing, choosing to out-last her brief moment of hysteria in his chest rather than risk words again. Finally, when she deemed herself to be in control once more, she raised her gaze. That was when she noticed it.

"Your hand."

"Hmm?" Naruto blinked, raising his ravaged palm for her inspection. "Yeah, almost forgot about it." His palm was charred slightly; red and burnt. Quiet proof of his actions. "It'll heal."

Her hand ghosted over his without thinking. Naruto started. His eyes followed the slow, deliberate motion, watching as her red glove traced over the injury with infinite gentleness. She half-expected him to protest. He did not. To her surprise, those fingers curled around hers. Warm and soft. Strong. She was suddenly and intensely aware of his arm circling around her waist, the strong notes of his muscles pressing into her back. He hadn't moved since he'd caught her. Blue eyes smoldered into her own.

Stop. It. The Justicar sternly shook herself in his arms, pulling her defiant hand away a moment later.

"Where were you?" she asked at last, feeling tired beyond measure.

"I was...preoccupied." his gaze shifted to the stairway from which he'd come. "Thankfully, I had some backup." She half-expected to see the Drell standing there. But no, today seemed to be _full_ of surprises. Samara had never seen a green asari before in her lifetime Until now. She was the one who clutched the Black Widow in her arms, its stock folding down against her back as she approached. Samara blinked. Did she take too much medigel? Was her mind playing tricks on her? Surely that must be it-it has to be, because this girl was _green._ She shouldn't be green.

"Greetings, Justicar." her head declined in a demure nod. "It is an honor to meet you."

Samara squinted. "Who...?"

"Samara, this is Shiala." he introduced, his chest puffing with just a touch of pride. "Shiala, Samara. I recently helped her with a little...contract negotiation." Ah. Now it all made sense. The paragon's silver tongue had struck again. Enough to charm a complete stranger into helping him take down a Spectre, apparently. A corrupt one, but stilll a Spectre regardless of the fact. Goddess. What a _day. _She was weary. Eyes fluttered shut, briefly, drifting into darkness as exhaustion overcame her at last. She didn't have the strength to keep them open any longer. "So, you ready to go?"

Shiala nodded demurely. "I would be honored to assist. But about our agreement...?"

"Right, right, As soon as I get a good look at you, I should be able to make you purple again. Wow. That sounded weird."

"Thank you."

"Right then." Naruto grunted, and to Samara's helpless dismay, she found herself being lifted into his arms, carried like a human bride. "Up we go; can't have the authorities interdicting us. But first,"

Overhead in the black, she heard a new voice.

"What's going on out here-Goddess!" Ah. She knew that voice.

"Ah." Naruto grunted. "Miss T'soni, I take it? Sorry about the blood." she almost smiled. He sounded so nonchalant.

"You shot her?!"

"The Spectre? Broke her neck really, but hey, same thing. Now, if you're quite done fretting over a dead body, I believe we have business to discuss. Walk with us." Without waiting he did just that, his booted footfalls moving, Shiala's long stride matching his, until Liara's finally join them. Her curiosity reels her in closer. Samara empathized with the young asari. There was something about him, that just drew you to him. Charisma. Kindness. He genuinely wanted to help people. And when someone threatened those he held dear...well, Vasir was a prime example of that. Perhaps the Shadow Broker would be next.

"What kind of business?" she tuned back in just in time to catch Liara's voice.

"The kind that involves killing the Shadow Broker." there's an audible layer of frost to his words. "I owe him a bullet. And I know just where to find him."

She didn't need her eyes to feel the tension. The anxiety. "Why tell me this?"

"Because you want him dead just as bad as I do."

Now there's a note of anger. Pain. Sorrow. "How do you know about that?"

"Cerberus. I, ah, "borrowed" some of their files."

...I see."

"But have you seen this?"

The clone chuckled cheekily and motioned with its free hand, discretely creating another bunshin and immediately dispelling it. Liara blinked.

"As a matter of fact, I haven't."

* * *

"-_aaand_ as I was saying, I can't tell you how great it is to finally have another guy on this ship." Naruto cracked a grin as he finished giving Thane a tour of the ship. "Too much female energy, man." At present Jodie was the only one on board beyond them; Jack and Samara had disembarked to procure a few final provisions before the takeoff. Naruto had a pair of disguised clones trailling them just in case any moves were made against either of them. He'd little doubt either biotic could not handle themselves in a fight, but he wasn't taking any risks. Not when the Normandy was still here.

Shepard had to know something was up by now.

As if to echo that very thought, a clone's memories came boiling back into his brain. He blinked, sifting through the knowledge. There was no pain to be felt; just a sudden wealth of knowledge that hadn't existed there beforehand. And what he saw lit a fresh fire in his chest. His clone had rectified the matter but now company was on its way. Sometimes he really hated himself. What was it about _him_ that caused him to stick his nose where it didn't belong?

**"Must be a hero complex."**

More facts.

Vasir had data with her, data read by the clones and transmitted. Encoded transmissions. Heavily encrypted. He breaks them without a thought in his mind, dissecting their codes and data until he finds a name. His name. Naruto. The Broker wants him. Alive. To give to the Collectors. And there in one of the tansmissions, shining like a gem in his mind, one last name. A planet. Hagalaz. That's where he'll find him. And hopefully the answers. Why the Collectors-and by definition their masters-were so hellbent on taking him. Now all those answers are only a relay away.

**"What is it _with_ you and Asari?"** Kaguya groaned.** "I swear, if you're not killing them, you're attracting them like flies!"**

Naruto chuckled.

Thane blinked.

"Is there a problem?"

Another smile. "No, though it seems we're picking up some extra people. Ever been to Hagalaz?"

Thane allows himself a moment to wonder. "I haven't had the pleasure, no."

"Now, you mentioned you were sick."

"Ah, yes. Kepral's Syndrome." The drell found himself nodding, the tiniest twinge of regret coloring those words. "You needn't worry; it is not communicable, even to other Drell. It will not affect my abilities for the time being."

"But you _are_ dying."

"Yes."

"I could do something about that."

Thane blinked, refusing to fan the tiny spark of hope that flickered within him. "If the finest minds of the Hanar Illuminated Primacy could not help me, I doubt your med bay would suffice. Even if this does possess an artificial intelligence." The blond's expression turned decidedly odd, then.

Naruto cracked a grin as his hands glowed green. "Trust me, I'm the best damn doctor you've ever seen."

**"Oh, suuuuure. Use me as a deus ex machina why don't you?"**

_'I think you're kind breaking the fourth wall there.'_

**"Meh, the readers love that sort of thing...**

"Hey, boss!"

Whatever else he might've said was suddenly cut off as Jack stormed through the airlock. Naruto might have otherwise ignored her...if she wasn't marching a very distressed quarian a few paces ahead of her. The look in those blazing eyes still the retort that instinctively leapt to his lips-as did the omnishackles wrapped around the suited woman's wrists. Where had she even gotten those? He dismissed those thoughts as she pushed the disgruntled alien up to him.

"And who is this?"

"Caught her poking around the ship." Jack scowled, giving the young woman another not-so-gentle nudge. "Figured she was a Cerberus spy, or something."

"I was just looking!" the quarian protested, her husky, voice emerging as slightly tinny through the mask. "How can you expect me to ignore tech like that?!"

"Easy." was the snarl. "Don't. Look."

"I...see," Naruto quietly facepalmed. From what he'd read up on them, Cerberus didn't like working with aliens. Shepard had proven that there were be expections, however, so he couldn't question the validity of Jack's theory. She'd had that turian with her after all. Maybe this really _was_ one of Shepard's cronies. His gaze cut to the quarian. "And are you a Cerberus spy, Miss..?"

Bright eyes narrowed underneath her visor, unflinching at his penetrating stare. "Myra'Tulvas. And I'm not a spy! Cerberus can rot in hell for what they did to Idenna!"

"Idenna?"

"Cerberus attacked it in search of a biotic prisoner some years ago." Thane explained in a low tone. Curiously, his eyes lingered on Myra. "You do not have a ship name?"

"No." she answered flatly.

"Is that important?" Naruto asked.

"Ordinarily, yes. All quarians have a ship name." His expression turned contemplative. "But this one does not...

She spat something in Quarian that his translator didn't pick up. "I haven't been with my people since those bastards killed my sister, and I won't take my name back until I find her killers and do to them what they did to her." her voice dropped into a quiet hiss, her helmeted head turning in his direction. "I saw you take down that Cerberus squad. Let me join you." Behind her Jack arched an eyebrow-momentarily shaken. It was rare to see her so taken aback; least of all by someone smaller than her. But the venom-the pain-in those words were all too real.

Naruto frowned. "We're hunting the Collectors, not Cerberus."

"But you're not helping them, either." she replied, her voice pitching. "Your people have a saying, don't they? The enemy of my enemy-

-is my friend," the blond finished. "Well said."

Now that he looked at her-really looked at her-first thing he noticed about Myra was the suit. Not to be speciest but she was clearly a breed apart from her fellow quarians in that aspect alone; the few he'd seen all wore lightly armored enviro-suits. So did she, but hers was a different model altogether. Where others were red or purple or a bland grey hers was a a deep and vibrant green and golden yellow, armored just about everywhere from curve to curve. And the weapons! Two assault rifles, a shotgun, sniper rifle - and was that a _rocket launcher?_ Serious heat!

Then there was the way she held herself.

There was a subtle confidence in the way she looked at him, firm in the belief that she could handle herself. She wasn't looking for a handout. Here was someone who had survived on her own for kami knew how long-a capable soldier who knew how to handle a gun just as much as an engine. Ding! The idea snapped into his mind in the same instant that Kaguya sighed.

**"Great. Another weirdo...**

Naruto ignored her.

"You any good with engines?"

"Pssh." the quarian snorted haughtily. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to? The best godamn engineer in the Terminus systems, that's who, you bosh'tet. Give me a chunk of element zero, a circuit board, an' a bit of metal, and I'll have it making precision jumps. Speaking of jumps-" Her body flickered as a mass effect field sprang up around her slim shoulders. A beat later and she was gone, out of Jack's grasp and across the hall. She shook a three-fingered hand smugly, revealing the now discarded shackles hanging loosely from her wrist. "Did you really think you could hold me?"

"A quarian vanguard." Thane mused. "Rare."

Naruto very nearly shook his head in exasperation. _Another_ biotic. What the hell? He seemed to be picking them up left and right! He was seriously beginning to feel singled out here!

"Alright, consider yourself hired. "Tell Cortana if you need to place a requisition order."

_"I look forward to working with you, Myra."_

"Oh, is that a VI?"

Naruto and Thane shared a quiet chuckle. "Try again."

"Wait," the armored alien balked. "This ship has an AI? Oh, Keelah...

Jack was the next to share in their amusement. "With Naruto, you get used to this sort of shit-hey, speak of the devil!"

All eyes turned as the airlock cycled open once more - this time admitting one of Naruto's clones and three asari. A weary-looking Samara lay cradled in his arms, ushered away to the medbay, followed by Shiala after a somewhat nervous glance. Liara was hot on their heels, a grim expression fixed to her normally serene visage. She paused just long enough to take stock of her surroundings-of the other Naruto in the room. Eventually she seemed to think better of asking altogether, settling for a shake of the head instead.

"Interesting company you keep."

"The fuck're you?" Jack growled.

"Easy," Naruto soothed with a raised hand, "She's...an acquaintance. That's it. No shooting till she's off the ship!"

Thane arched an eyebrow as they bustled past. "I was unaware we had acquired so many...allies."

Liara stiffened slightly as she finally recognized the assassin. "I am not an ally, Thane Krios. Although I'm surprised to find you here." the question was unspoken. How had Naruto managed to recruit both the Justicar, the Assassin, and the Convict, all under Shepard's nose. This...worries Liara. She hasn't spoken to Shepard in time, accepted the fact that she's moved on, and yet here she is, working with _mercenaries_ to get what it is that she wants. But she's doing it all for a good cause. Feron. Just looking at Thane reminds her of him. Goddess, please let him be alive.

A thinly veiled smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Myra groaned.

"Great, great, I'm working with a bunch of psychopaths...

Naruto politely waved off whatever their new mechanic had been going to say, for more interested in the quiet thump he'd just heard coming from Jodie's room. He frowned and went towards her door, pausing outside of it where he clearly heard the redhead swearing. There was another louder thump and then more swearing, and Naruto resisted the urge to press his ear against the door. Whatever Jodie was doing, she sounded like she was in pain.

"Jodie?" He called, "Are you okay?" Naruto knocked on the door and waited. Silence stretched behind the door, ad just when he was starting to wonder whather he should open the door and come in, he heard the sound of someone moving and then quiet cursing.

_Curious..._

"Umm, just a minute." She sounded flustered and a little stressed, "I, uh, need some help, but..."

Those words fell away as he blundered his way into the room. Jodie hissed in surprise.

"Hey, wait a second-

"Ah."

He took a few steps into the room before he came to a stop, his jaw dropping open as he took in the scene in front of him; Jodie was sitting awkwardly on the bed with her shirt and armor mostly removed. She had her good arm through one sleeve of the black button up shirt, but the other arm, the one on the side where she'd taken a rather nasty shot, was stuck half in and half out. It was clear that she couldn't get her bad arm the rest of the way in or out, and judging from the painful look on her face her arm must have been pulling on her chest wound badly.

Naruto took everything in all at once in one brief look, and then he ran his eyes over Jodie again, trying not to let his eyes linger on the body that was framed by the open shirt and pieces of armor. But he couldn't help it. She had beautiful ivory skin, a smooth taunt stomach and amazing breasts that were held in a deceptivelly black lace brassiere. He knew he was staring-and Jodie probably knew he was too but it was so unexpected that he didn't know what else to do.

_She was so bloody gorgeous..._

**"Focus, fool!"** Kaguya mentally slapped him upside the head, jumpstarting his dead brain. It worked.

"Need some help?" he asked.

Jodie's green eyes met his blue eyes and for a moment he felt something pass between them. He couldn't have said what it was; only that it felt good. Then the moment passed and she nodded to him, "Sure, that'd be nice."

"Yeah, nice."

"Right."

"Okay."

"Sure...

"Oh, sod it alll." Naruto grumbled and clamored over to her as quickly as he could, trying not to stumble over his own two feet in the proccesss. Jodie watched him like a hawk at his approach, her back shooting ramrod straight as his fingers brushed her shoulder. She shivered, though whether it was from the pain or something else, he knew not. For a momen -just a moment-he felt like an awkward teenager again, his cheeks burning at his first sight of pale skin in the starlight, her sweat-soaked form jarring against him in quiet need-

_...imbecile,_ he chastised himself, ruthlessly banishing the ancient memory to the darkest corner of his mind. _Shake it off. You've seen naked women countless times before. Why should this be any different?_ The answer eluded him. Or maybe he just wanted it to. Jodies quiet, pained whimper brought him back to the world; he realized he'd helped tug off her shirt, peel away those blasted pieces of armor sticking to her skin. The wound had healed somewhat -a far cry from the gaping tear that it must've been, but the sight of her in pain tugged at his heartstrings regardless. Now he was tearing it back open.

"God," he muttered quietly, wincing as he helped pull the last piece away. "Why didn't you tell me about this?"

...thought I could handle it." she muttered.

"When." it was not a question.

"When we were chasing Morinth." she conceded to his stare, averting her eyes like a naughty child. "I got hit by some shrapnel. Didn't think it was so bad, but-ah! Guess it tore again."

"You stubborn, stubborn girl...didn't anyone tell you ya can't just tank with regeneration? It takes stamina. Time."

"What about you?"

He gave her an odd look, unprepared for the sudden turn of phrase. "What about me?"

Her eyes shimmered quietly in the dark. "You look tired. Have you been sleeping?"

"Off and on." came the evasive reply.

_"Naruto."_

He tried to deflect her question with humor...and for once, he couldn't.

Because deep down, he knew. There was a purity to Jodie that he'd never seen before. It was there in her tentative smile whenever she spoke, the way those dark green eyes always followed his every move, observing his every action. Thus far, she'd emulated him - as if she were a paragon, incarnate. Every action on her part had mirrored his; going out of her way to save innocent lives, to guard those unabley to protect themselves from the terrors of the world. She was like him.

The problem was, that she's also everything about him that was horribly_wrong:_ impulsive, reckless, sentimental. He fears that once more someone -her- will make the same mistakes he made and the universe, and all others, will be thrown back into the fire once more while everyone else pursues diplomatic politically correct goals. The problem is that people feel guilty in acknowledging they need an edge. Pride becomes a mortal sin, and leads to ruin.

Despite that, she trusted him implicity. And he wasn't worthy of it.

**"Yes, you are."** In his mind, he felt Kaguya lay a cool hand on his soul, a surprising balm to his spirit. **"You've been a wonderful leader-**

_'No. I'm not. If my clone hadn't been there today, Samara would've been captured. Or worse. I was too careless. So is Jodie.'_

If he were to tell her of all those he'd willingly slaughtered, all those he'd abandoned, would she follow him? Would she become a killer with a conscience, like him? Or, would she go cold; eradicating all those who stood in the way of what she wanted. He didn't know. Didn't want to know. Suddenly, he laughed.

"Honestly?" he chuckled morosely; it was a soft, hollow cry of a sound. "I have no idea how we're going to do this. I'm trying to hold everything together and I act like its all one big joke, but really?" he buried his head in one hand. "To me, at least, it feels like this whole thing's trying to pull itself apart at the seams. Everything-all of you-are with me because I promised you something. Jack wants revenge against Cerberus. You want to know who you are. Until recently, Samara wanted her daughter dead. I'm pretty sure Krios has issues of his own. I swore to Shiala that I'd fix whatever's wrong with her and I'm not even sure I can. Now there's this whole shpeel with Myra and Liara...

I've got Shepard to worry about, Cerberus, the Collectors, and now the godamned Shadow Broker's trying to kill me. I literally woke up in a cell and had to fight my way free. And I've been fighting ever since. Now I lay awake at night and I wonder - what if something happens? What if I'm too slow? Today was a perfect example. What if I lose one of you? What if...if...I'm not good enough?"

Jodie can only take it in. The words have rendered her speechless. Her throat is tight. Her heart pounds wildly. "That isn't true," she manages. It's such a clean, simple thing to say to such an emotional outpouring. Perhaps Naruto really is different. He was never so direct before. Never so desperate. It's as if he were hanging by a thread. Jodie cautiously goes to him. She touches his face and brings him close. Naruto settles his forehead on Jodie's shoulder. He shakes without making a sound. He smells of sweat and blood. He is warm. Solid. Real. Alive. Not some tangible ghost. Jodie runs her fingers over his hair and realizes she's already lost a battle she didn't even know she was fighting; she's hopelessly in love with him.

"Idiot." she muttered, smoldering softly in his arms. "Let us worry whether we're good enough or not."

Naruto said nothing. Jodie didn't mind. She looked away, fretting quietly.

She wasn't quite sure what made her do it; only that she did. One moment she was looking him her, the next, she pressed her lips to his forehead. He sighed quietly.

"Stubborn."

"I blame you."

In the end, she simply held him.

* * *

The Shadow Broker waits in darkness and silence.

There is almost no noise here in his private chamber, only the quiet thrum of his terminals alerting him to the occasional message. One such message informs him of Vasir's death. Unfortunate. She was a useful pawn-a piece he often favored for his wetwork operations. Her death is unfortunate, but not unexpected. She, can be replaced. Waving the message away with the flick of an arm, he turns his attention to another terminal. This one piques his interest. The Observer has reported the dissapearance of T'Soni. Likewise, Uzumaki Naruto and his crew have all but vanished. There is only one conclusion.

They're coming for him. The broker clicks his teeth in annoyance. Any warning given would probably come too late, he expects that the attack will begin soon. They think that they can defeat him. Dethrone him. Had he been a gambling man, he might've estimated their odds as slim. Their hope, futile. He knows T'Soni will come for the drell. She's fixated on him. She thinks there is still light in the galaxy. Hope.

But there is no light here. No hope.

Only secrets and shadows.

Most fitting for an epitaph, he muses to himself.

He knows the confrontation is coming. Uzumaki Naruto is not a man who dies easily. He's the last of an ancient people, perhaps the first to ever truly resist the Reapers. Their civilazation made the Protheans look like a gaggle of mindless apes by comparison. Their miracle energy, chakra, by definition, could be used by anyone. One need only find the proper applications. And he'd had years -decades- to unlock the secrets contained in the ruins left behind by those proud people.

One such relic lays on his desk. With a touch he activates it, sliding the gauntlet onto his hand and locking it there. A part of him looks forward to the confronation. Ancient lore said that the Uzumaki Clan was merciless and unforgiving of their enemies - that they were terrible powerhouses capable of annihilating entire cities when truly provoked. That rings painfully true of this one. Uzumaki may think he has a few tricks up his sleeve, but the Broker has secrets of his own. The game has been set. The pieces laid out on the chessboard.

Now he has only to wait.

* * *

"Alright!"

Thane turned with a start-blinking as Naruto emerged from Jodie's quarters not five minutes later. There was a sizeable spring in his step, a gleam in those bright blue eyes that hadn't been there before. The shadow of weariness and doubt had all but vanished from his face, replaced by a cheery grin and steel resolve. It was, he thought, an improvement. A good commander worried about his men. A great commander trusted that the men and women under his command would be able to handle themselves, and come what may.

"Ready to take on the Shadow Broker?"

Jodie snorted quietly.

"As long as he isn't a turian."

"And doesn't work for Cerberus." Jack chimed.

Myra was quick to take up the call. "Here, here!"

Thane took it all in and blinked. _Interesting._

Obviously something significant had happened between this merry little band before he'd met them and whatever it was hadn't been good, because even though Jodie had spoken without a hint of negativity in her voice, her comment about turians had been too pointed to be an accident. Thane was a mise mane, knew the telltale sound of _fuck you_ even when the words weren't being spoken. Jodie's quiet comments definitely had that kind of a ring to them. The only mystery was whether she'd made the comment because she was annoyed about a certain turian, or because she disliked them in general.

Add to that Myra's hatred for Cerberus, Jack's raving paranoia, Samara's icy dispostion, Naruto's overall quirkiness, and T'Soni's raging vendetta against the Shadow Broker and you had a recipe for disaster. Then there was the matter of his own emotional baggage.

"This should be...an interesting mission."

Naruto laughed and clapped him on the back..

"You don't know the half of it."

Somehow, he doubted it could get much worse. But stilll...

...he wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

Things were getting worse. Much worse.

Garrus knew it the moment Shepard came storming into her main battery. He saw it in her posture, the way she clenched her jaw, her fists balling furiously at her sides. Tiny ripples of biotic power sheathed her body in angry crackles of blue flame. Her blue eyes were glititering an eerie red in the dark, something that both worried and unsettled him. He'd known her to lose her temper sometimes, but, never like this. Not like this. That gleam in her eye worried him, moreso than the fact that she was still armed and in armor.

Jane had been in a funk ever since she'd learned of her Alliance discharge, but the fury then was a mere candle compared to now. Only an hour ago she'd taken Jacob and Mordin to try and recruit the assassin. Krios or something, was his name. She'd even intended to give Liara information on the Shadow Broker afterward, an olive branch to restore their friendship. Evidently, something had gone wrong.

Very wrong.

"They're gone!" she cried, stomping up to him, her cheeks red with anger.

He glanced up and closed down his screen, raising a talon haltingly as she plunked herself down onto a crate. "Alright, who?"

"Liara! The Drell! Both of them!"

"Ah." he tried lamely. Is it so wrong that he feels just the _tiniest_ twinge of jealousy at the mention of that name? He knew Shepard was beyond and past the point of no return in that matter, but it still stung. He cares about Jane and all that she is, he truly does, but the way those red eyes glint at him in the darkness...its unsettling. The scars are getting worse. So is her temper.

"Don't you "aah" me, Vakarian." she swats his hand away from her shoulder when he tried to comfort her. "She's gone! And so is his ship! He's playing with me! Fucking with my head! Look! He left this in Liara's office, on the body of her receptionist!" Before he could ask just what she meant, she opened her Omnitool and summoned up a file. The image of the blond from before popped up and as ever, he was smiling.

_"Hiya, Shep."_ the blond grinned merrily. _"If you're getting this, then that means we've left Illium behind us. I won't say where we're headed, confidential and whatnot, just wanted ta let ya know. You're probably pissed to all hell by now, and I'm sorry for that. Thane's with me, if you're wondering. Nice fellow. But back to business."_ he leaned forwards, his face all but filling the screen. _"I killed a Spectre today. Friend of yours, maybe? Dunno. Still, I wanted to say this. Don't come after me. I've got business of my own with the Collectors and you have your own- lets try not tear each other apart while we're out saving the galaxy, neh?_

_And hey, w__hile you're at it, do the right thing. Leave Cerberus. Don't try to find me. Don't fight me. If you do...I'll just make your life a living hell. Seriously, though? __Cerberus? Really? Do you have any idea what your little friends are up to? Biotic death camps for kids? If there's an ounce of decency in you, you'll blow those assholes out the airlock and not look back. Don't end up a monster in your own skin. If you do, well...maybe it'll be time for a new Shepard, then. _his lips quirked in a sad smile._ Hopefully it won't come to that._

_See you in the stars,_

_Naruto._

"See?!" she shut down the message with a hiss. "Who the hell does he think he is?!"

Garrus didn't see the threat. What he saw made a great deal of sense. He was telling her to space the Cerberus personnel-something he personally approved of-and go after the Collectors on their own. He wanted to be left alone, and promised retribution only if she came after him. If anything he seemed open to the possibillity of an alliance...something he was certain Shepard would never agree upon. But he owed it to her to at least offer the possibility. A part of him considers mentioning that he's found Sidonis. He reconsiders. Now is not the time.

"Maybe we should be working _with _this guy, rather than against him."

She recoiled, looking hurt. "I thought you were on my side, Garrus."

Without thinking, he raised a hand to stroke her cheek. "Of course I'm with you...

Jane jerked back. "Then act like it, godamnit."

Without another word, she twisted past him and stormed out of the battery. He lets her go. Garrus knows there's something wrong with Shepard. He just couldn't put his finger on it before. But now he can. And the old and painful realization hits him like a drunken krogan's punch, straight to the gut.

_Commander Shepard, his mate, was slipping._

* * *

If there is a hell, it is Hagalaz.

The planet is a maelstrom of lightning and wrath.

The intense heat on one side of the planet and the extreme cold on the other make for violent storm cells wherever the sun is rising or setting. As a result, the flora and fauna of Hagalaz have developed the capability to live in cycles of ice, flooding, baking heat, and dramatic air pressure changes. The biota of the planet has been largely unexploited by the exotic pet and gardening trades, since simulating their natural conditions is problematic for the average consumer.

Of course, none of those facts matter now. Just harmless facts. Words. Liara restrains a rueful chuckle at the odd train of thought her mind has taken. Perhaps she is simply trying to cope with the sudden possibility that her dream might very well become a reality. She allows herself a moment to consider the small band that will be accompanying her. Mercenaries. Hired hands. She wished Shepard was here. Then she wouldn't have to work with these strangers. But they've given her the information she needs, and she can't ignore it. Neither can she afford to ignore them. The Justicar had stayed onboard with the convict to mend her wounds. Those she can ignore. Not these.

So she watches.

Myra is the first one to gain her attention. She's never seen a quarian soldier before. Not like this. Every inch of her jade and saffron-colored suit is tough and plated with armours, wreathed with redundant barriers and kinetic fields. One might think that the woman beneath was just the same, coarse and cold - shuttered off from the universe. Yet she chats glibbly with Jodie, her warm, husky voice filled with warmth and bemusement as she shakes her head at the younger biotics.

Jodie. Another stranger. A human who seems hellbent on keeping her face hidden by an azure helmet. But there's something about her. She sounds familliar Liara thinks, her voice breaking in a laugh. Shepard's laugh, is it? Liara shakes it off. She's been hearing Jane's voice in almost every human female lately. Its probably just nerves.

They're discussing something about biotic detonations and combos, paying no attention to her whatsoever. Her gaze moves on, falling upon the next member of their boarding party.

Thane Krios. She doesn't need any information to know him. To know that he's a master assassin. His body is a deadly and lethal weapon in its own right, but today he packs an Armax Needle and deceptively harmless-looking Paladin just in case. His dark eyes are shut, his mouth moving in a silent, pre-battle prayer to his gods. Finally, her attention falls on the leader of this merry little band of misfits.

Naruto.

He looks positively menacing in his heavy armor, facing away from her in the pilot's seat of their shuttle. She can only see his back, but its enough to make her shudder. All black death and armed to the teeth, bristling with weapons, grenades and the like. His ship had been the one to ferry her to Hagalaz, and this was his shuttle. He'd been nothing but sociable since they'd met-if a little sarcastic. By all means she should feel grateful for his unfaltering assistance, stranger though he might be.

And yet there's something eerie about him, a genuine feeling of, wrongness, somehow. The V-shaped slit of his visor glows an eerie blue. He notices her staring. Turned. His head cocks aside, moving just a fraction of an inch. Enough to make her fidget.

His voice rumbles like a slow moving avalance through the helmet:

_"Nervous?"_

"Nervous?" Liara willed her voice not to break beneath that gaze, tried not to laugh hysterically. "Why would I be nervous? Its not as though I'm on a ship full of perfect strangers none of whom I know, several of which are packing enough weapons to blow up a small space station. No. I'm not nervous. Not at all."

There was a silence.

...that was a joke."

Naruto laughed. "Better than my sense of humor. "Alright, ready? We're about to hit the atmosphere-

A chorus of affirmative responses echoed in the cabin. Without further elaboration pushed the shuttle forward, the controls bucking under his hands the moment they exited the safety of the _Prometheus._ The Broker's ship lurked just ahead, a sinister wedge shaped vessel with a broad shield of heavy panels protecting its rear like the hilt of a sword. Just behind it was the massive rolling wall of yellow-gray clouds, great arcs of lightning jumping between them, a hungry storm constantly snapping at the ship's heels.

He had brought them in almost dangerously close, making it only a brief hop to the other ship. He settled the shuttle heavily on the ship's bow and engaged the magnetic grapples, securing it in place before slamming the door controls.

"Here we go! Stay down and hang on tight!"

The moment the door opened the howl of the wind could be heard and felt everywhere. Each member of the team made their way onto the ship's deck, doing as instructed and staying low to avoid being pulled off the hull by the gusts. Naruto gestured forward with the butt of his rifle. "You're the Broker expert, T'soni. Take point. Where's the nearest entrance?" Liara squinted towards him. Was he serious? He'd relinquish command that easily? Perhaps she'd underestimated him.

"It should be by the back shielding."

"That fan looking thingie, right?"

"Yes, I believe I just said-

The sharp cracke of a rifle interrupted her. Naruto lowered his rifle, and though she couldn't see his face behind the helmet,

"What now?"

Naruto laughed and sheathed himself in chakra.

"Now we do what we do best."

* * *

They're skilled.

Myra fights with almost no regard for her own personal safety, pummeling the enemy with rockets and drones and cursing in Keelish all the while. She sounds like she's enjoying herself, if the occasional laugh is any old indication of her termperment.

Jodie works with Liara and her to summon cataclysmic biotic detonations, warping the hull and flinging soldiers into the lightning rods. By comparison Naruto and Thane are more sedate; suppressing the enemy through withering sniper fire, and, in rarer cases, devastating close combat. They work as one unit and do so seamlessly-protecting her and covering each others backs well. Not a single one is harmed. The same cannot be said for the Broker's army; they are parted from their bodies like wheat and chaff, their drones overloaded, and all attemps to stall them obliterated by the raw power of the biotics.

With Myra's aid, the door is down almost instantly. They remove their masks. All save Jodie. What is she hiding? No more time to wonder as the alarms wail. Waves of agents fall before them. Until finally, finally, at the bend of a hall, guarded by a lone agent at a desk-she sees him. Her SMG rattles one last time, silencing the agent who dares to stand between her and her goal. She darts foward, the door recognizing her speed and all but flinging itself open for her.

There he is.

"Feron!"

A drell is strapped into a chair, convulsing from an electric shock even as Naruto and co. watched. He hadn't encountered that many drell but the man looked in bad shape, numerous bruisers and wounds on his body, eyes unfocused, wrists raw from where he had jerked against the restraints. At the sound of Liara's voice he seemed to come around, croaking out a few strained words.

"L-Liara. No... don't touch... it. Trap."

"It's alright, Feron. We're here to help you," the asari said, moving closer.

Naruto waited patiently as they conversed, stepping forward only when it became apparent that poor Feron could yield no more intelligence.

"We should go, T'Soni." he held up his omnitool, capturing her attention. "The Broker's just down this hall. We can get him out once we've finished with him. Myra." He jerks his head toward the quarian. Stay with him in case any of the agents come by."

"Sure thing." the woman nods almost immediately; there is no disent whatsover.

"Yes...right."

Almost numbed by the prospect of finally making this a reality, she follows him through another wave. More agents fall. They're panicking now, terrified by the Suicide Squad tearing through them. Nothing can stop the four of them, even without Myra, they're implaccable. Finally, they arrive. A lone door stands between them and their goal.

"Ready?" Naruto raised a hand, ready to palm the door. Liara nodded.

"Lets finish this."

His whiskered face creased in a wan smile. Her heart skips a beat.

"Couldn'ta said it better myself."

Raising the pistol he opened the door and stepped through, Jodie, Thane, and Liara following close behind. The room they entered was large and dimly lit, roughly circular with a truly massive desk occupying its center. At that desk there sat a large bulk, causing him to raise his brow in surprise. The Shadow Broker? He was enormous. Bigger than even a krogan unless his eyes were playing tricks on him. When the Broker deigned for them to be worthy of hearing his voice, the effect was only strengthened by the deep reverberations of his voice. He sounded like a slow moving avalanche.

"You came for the drell."

Naruto growled.

"No," he replied, watching the large form carefully. "That was some other guy. His name was Shit Sherlock. First name, no."

"Reckless, Uzumaki. Even for you."

"So trying to kidnap my crew and sell me to the Reapers was subtle? Not to mention the private army of black armored soldiers."

The Broker shrugged. "Excessive, but necessary. It was for the good of the galaxy."

"No it wasn't!" Liara snapped suddenly. "Neither was caging Feron here for two years like an animal!"

If the Broker was fazed by the outburst, his tone didn't show it, deep and level. It sounded like a mountain speaking from the depths of the earth. "Dr. T'soni. Your interference caused all of this. Feron betrayed me when he handed you Shepard's body. He is simply paying the price for his error in judgement."

"The error was when you thought working for the Collector's was a good idea," Naruto said. "Look how well that turned out. This ends here and now. Maybe I'll let you answer a few questions before you die."

The massive brute cocked his head aside, considering. Slowly, those eyes shifted back to Liara.

"You travel with fascinating companions, doctor. I suppose I should thank you for bringing the shinobi to me. The price on his head is a handsome one and the Collectors are more than willing to pay." Once more, those beady eyes shifted. "The qurian is of no significant value to me, nor is Krios, but the clone of Commander Shepard could prove...useful. Give her to me, and I may let you live."

Jodie made a sound somwhere between a gasp and a snarl.

_A clone?! Clone?! But how can that even be...possible?!_ Liara scowled at the realization, but kept her own pistol trained on the bulky form. Later. Save the anger and confusion for later. "You won't be laying your hands on anyone! Maybe if you had been smart we could have ended this peacefully."

There was a hint of dry, almost arid amusement in the Broker's tone. "There can never be peace between us, T'soni. Neither for you, nor your companions." Leaning forward, he folded both hands beneath his heavy head. "Surely you must know it is pointless to challenge me. I know your every secret, while you fumble in the dark. Which reminds me. I believe its lights out for your friend over there."

He touched a hand to his wrist and something struck Naruto, piercing his shields like paper and drawing blood. The blond jerked in surprise, doubling over with a groan.

"Well...that tingled."

Jodie hissed.

"What the hell did you do?!"

"A chakra disruptor, coupld with potent nerve toxin." the broker replied smugly, lowering the still-shimmering gauntlet attached to his right arm. "So long as you're within this room, you won't be able to utilize any of your...unique abilities. And that poision should render you immobiel in oh...thirty seconds? You're quite powerless now, shinobi."

Naruto croaked out a laugh. "Still got my gun, asshole."

"It won't save you."

He somehow managed to resist the urge to fire when the Broker stood to his full height, the faint blue lighting from the rooms overhead lights brightening slightly to shed illumination at last on the Broker's form. The revelation only left him more perplexed and worried him as he took in the bizarre sight before him. Whatever the Broker was, it was no race he had ever seen. Standing taller than even a krogan he was almost the size of a YMIR combat mech, broad and thick. Most noticeably was his equally large head, set with numerous eyes over a mouth that looked like an inverted Y. With each breath his mouth opened slightly, dozens of jagged teeth lining every inch of his maw. His ferocious appearance was only added to by the set of curved horns jutting from his head.

Liara took a step back, but her voice was unwavering, even carrying a faint hint of satisfaction. "Is that right? You're a yahg. A pre-spaceflight species quarantined to their homeworld for massacring the Citadel first contact teams. This base is older than your species contact with the rest of the galaxy, meaning that you likely killed the original Shadow Broker sixty years ago and took over."

Reading a completely unknown species' facial ques wasn't a simple matter but if the way the Broker's mandibles seemed to grind together, it looked like Liara's information was correct. He saw the yahg's taloned hands grip the edge of his desk tightly while she spoke.

"My guess would be that you were taken by a trophy hunter as a slave... or a pet. How am I doing?"

_Fast._

That was her very next thought as the yahg lurched upward, ripped his desk free -snapped it in half- and flung both severed halves at them at breakneck speed. His gun barked almost immediately after that, waves of searing plasma spitting out at them. Naruto reached out and yanked Liara aside, taking the brunt of the flying masonry and blasts to his body. Thane wasn't quite quick enough-he went down under a pile of rubble. Not enough to kill him, but a sizeable impediment regardless. The other almost smashed Liara off her feet. Jodie alone escaped unharmed, an angry blur of blue and black, tucking and rolling at the last instant.

"Oh, fuck." Naruto's garbled voice greeted her. Liara whirled around and nearly screamed. He was missing an arm and a leg. An arm. And a leg. Those blasts had torn throug his superior shields as though they were nothing. If she'd been hit by that-

"I'll be fine." he muttered. "Just give me some time to heal."

"But he said-

"Fucker doesn't know about Kaguya...now, go!" He slumps to the floor, hissing quietly. Liara bounded past him just in time to hear Jodie roar and open fire - her avenger spitting leaden death. The broker's shields flare as he turns, ignorin gher. So fast. Liara never saw him move, only felt his massive fist planting itself in her stomach. Then she's down.

She should have given this more thought. Isn't she always questioning the recklessness of humans? And here she has let her emotions cloud her judgment. How has she been so foolish? Will her need for revenge prove to be her undoing? _No time to think now. On your feet!_

She almost doesn't have the chance to stand on her own. The Broker comes charging at her with a bloody, throaty roar, ready to rip her from her feet. Jodie snarls something incomprehensible from across the hold and suddenly the yahg is held in a giant glowing fist of dark energy. It didn't last. The Shadow Broker shook free and backhanded her without so much as a thought, sending her flying across the room. Then Liara felt only a shortness of breath in her lungs.

His hand is on Liara's throat, crushing tightly. "Poor asari. You never had a chance." Liara struggles. He squeezes harder.

Too strong. She can't breathe. Goddess. What has she done? What of the war? What of the Reapers? What of Shepard? But Feron...Feron didn't deserve this. Tears squeeze out of her eyes. The Broker snarls-hurls her through the air. Time slows to a pained crawl. She flies backward, the air sucked out of her lungs. In the distance she hears gunshots. Everything is still. False stars shine in the false darkness of her vision. It's cold and beautiful. Will she die here?

She falls for what feels like forever, shooting across the room like a bullet loosed from a gun. She salvages the landing at the last moment, pulling up a biotic field but the pain is allmost crippling. Glassy shards of white hot agony and pain creep around her, stabbing into her as she gasps for breath, not able to get any air into her lungs. The Broker thunders after, blasting tables, benches, everything apart in all directions. She needs to move. Get out of the way

Liara barely manages to roll away, to hobble to her feet. She can't stand straight. She falters and drops to one knee. The Broker approaches. Liara glowers and fidgets for her gun. It feels impossibly heavy in her hand and she scarcely has the energy to lift it.

And then he stops stops in her tracks. Liara breathes raggedly but is warm with the thread of victory. It's short lived. Liara hears a crunch. She hears two. The Shadow Broker shudders, his massive bulk writhing under some strange spell, spasming beneath an unknown assault. Liara blinks, baffed.

And then he screams.

She followes his gaze, staring down in disbelief at the crimson-colored hands now emerging from the yahg's stomach. Naruto is standing behind him, his eyes glowing an eerie white. His helmet is gone. As she looks on in horror, he becomes something else, his body twisting and warping as divine chakra, too pure to be hampered even by a disruptor, coursed through him. Her. Whatever this creature was, it possessed flowing hair like ashen snow, twin hors thrusting out of her hair. Impossibly, the armor remained intact, making Naruto's sudden change all the more unsettling.

"You..."the broker coughed out a bloody breath, "But how...you should be immobilized...

_**"That,"** _Kaguya purred cooly, _**"Wasn't very nice. I'd be very inconvenienced if he died on me." **_Those white eyes flashed with murderous intent._** "DID YOU THINK A MERE MACHINE COULD HOLD ME?! YOU FOOL!" **_her arms twitched within the yahg's wounds, tensing for some monumental effort._ **"Die."**_

_With a cry born of pure anger, she ripped the Shadow Broker in half._

**A/N: Aaand there you have it! My work continues! Couldn't resist that ending XD Kaguya's warming up to him! And another Naruto/Jodie moment! Daaaaw! And now Thane's joined up! Liara's an ally at best, an enemy at worst. Shiala's here, too! And all hail Myra! Naruto's got himself a little biotic death squad, don't he? All in all, this was a _hard _chapter to right, covering both the Shadow Broker as well as the Collector ship. Hope ya'll enjoyed it!**

**Anywho, I**** worked extremely hard on this one, so I hope to hear what you think! Will Naruto join up with Shepard? Or will he forge his own path? Seems like the latter so far! Pairing is uuup in the air! YOU DECIDE! And on a final note, thank you to everyone offering emotional support in regard to my health woes. Its greatly appreciated! An awful lot is going to change in this story soon! Look forward to an epic prank next chapter...provided my health holds out. So I'll say for all of you...HAPPY SUMMER! I've worked my but off on this, and I sincerely hope that I haven't dissapointed ya'll! **

**So...in the immortal words of Atlas...**

**...Review, Would You Kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview! MAJOR CANNON SHIFT APPROACHING! We'll see the Collector ship next time, but oh, lookie here...**

**(Preview)**

_Naruto pursed his lips together in a thin line, scowling down at the turian at his feet. He's young. Little more than a kid. He hit hard. Naruto hit harder. One touch was all it took to see right through him. He can read a past in those eyes; a legacy of betrayal marked by pain and regret. He's alive, yet he's dead at the same time. Little more than a husk inside. People have died because of this man. By all rights he deserves a bullet in the back head. It might even be a mercy. Yet...something makes him hesitate._

_**"He's just like you."** Kaguya muses._

_She speaks the truth. He knows the sting of betrayal all too well. He betrayed his men ages ago, leaving them behind to burn when he hit the relay. This man doomed a dozen. He damned thousands. Something stirs within him. Not quite pity but neither is it empahty, either. In the ends, he holsters his pistol. _

_"Just shoot me." the man groans, his words slurring drunkenly, broken mandible fluttering in agony. "Put me outta my misery..."_

_Naruto frowned._

_"What's your name?" he asks._

_The bird turned and spat a wad of blue blood onto the floor of the Presidium. He turns those haunted eyes up at him. When he finally speaks, his voice is little more than a quiet croak. Perhaps he realizes he's not going to get the easy way out. Not from him._

_"Sidonis."_

_Ah. Now it all made sense. The one who betrayed Garrus._

_In the next instant, he reached down, and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, hauling him to his feet. He wills himself not to cringe at the copius amounts of liquor on the boy's breath. "Name's Uzumaki Naruto. You work for me now. Got it? Consider it payment for spilling the ramen. Now get your ass in gear." Wordlessly, he drops him, leaving the alien to stagger in his wake. Then he turns and walks away._

_"We're you going?" Sidonis calls at his back._

_"I'm shipping out. Now. Got a war to win against the Collectors."_

_"Collectors?! You're fucking crazy!"_

_"So I've been told. Now, are you coming, or do I have to tear strips out of your hide?"_

_"I-_

**_"Make up your mind." _**_he keeps walking. "I won't do it for you."_

_Maybe Sidonis recognizes the offer for what it reallly is; a chance to redeem himself. To repay his debts. Make things right. Maybe he's just too frightened to question him. Perhaps its a measure of both. Regardless, he doesn't protest. Naruto doesn't have long to wait before he hears the turian half-stumbling, staggering after him. He trips at first, but he keeps going. Stumbles again, but does not fall Naruto grins._

_"Welcome aboard."_

**Hope you enjoyed! R&R! =D**


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